


Closer Than Sisters

by Theodur



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Circle Mage Max, Dragon Age Setting, F/F, Life is Strange Characters - Freeform, Templar Chloe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:46:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 75,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27840973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theodur/pseuds/Theodur
Summary: When Chloe's life is endangered, Max's magic spontaneously manifests itself, saving her best friend's life. Unfortunately, her reward is to be dragged away by the templars and locked up in the Circle of Magi for the rest of her life. Will Chloe manage to find a way to be together with the most important person in her life?
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Comments: 48
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the character backgrounds are changed for the purposes of this story, the biggest difference being that William lives and Joyce is sadly no longer with us. There are good reasons for this.
> 
> Will we see some Dragon Age characters, or is this purely LiS characters in DA setting? Some DA characters will show up, but in minor roles. I would encourage you to read on if you like Cullen, though. :) 
> 
> How will time travel be handled? By it not being time travel, actually. Max's magic will work a little differently here, it's definitely reality altering, but not exactly by traveling back in time. 
> 
> Please, read on and let me know what you think!

* * *

_Year 9:22 of Dragon Age_

_Highever, Ferelden_

Maxine 'Max' Caulfield idly watched the foam capped wave of the Waking Sea rolling in and reaching the tip of her boot before flowing back out. She took in a deep breath of the rich, fragrant sea air, listening to the cry of the gulls as they flew above them, making the young girl envious of the freedom that the birds seemed to possess. Still, walking back and forth the beach, hand-in-hand with her best friend forever, Chloe Price, Max felt like she could never trade the life she had for the freedom to roam the skies as free as a bird. After all, this was the 'Max and Chloe Hour' of the day, almost a sacred time for them both, something that the girls eagerly looked forward to during their respective chore-filled days, spent working and helping their parents.

At her age of thirteen, Max was old enough to be aware that their life in Highever, while still not easy by any means, was not as challenging as most people in Ferelden had to endure. Certainly, her family was not rich, not even wealthy, but at least the bakery her parents owned and had invested their lives in, just as her father's parents before that, brought in enough money to allow them to meet their ends. Her parents were respected in the community, and supplied the household of Teyrn Bryce Cousland, the ruler of Highever in the nearby Castle Cousland, with fresh bread every morning, a badge of pride for her parents. And being the only child of the family, Max was expected to one day take over the family business, already being groomed for it, spending long hours in the bakery every day as she learned the craft from her parents.

While Max was not particularly thrilled about the life that fate seemed to have in store for her, she had outgrown the phase of bitter complaining about it, having come to realize that many young people her age, even in the relatively wealthy city of Highever, would be extremely jealous in having the kind of stability and security that her parents had provided for her. Max had often dreamed of having a sibling who could fulfill the dreams of their parents while leaving her free to pursue the calling of her heart, the young girl dreaming about traveling to either Val Royeaux or Antiva City to study art. And her parents had tried for another child, at least for the first few years following Maxine's birth, but at some point her parents had abandoned the idea, perhaps realizing that to feed another mouth would be too much of a strain for their household.

Max had been fascinated by art from a very young age, ever since she had first noticed the beautiful stained glass in the chantry of Highever, far more appealing to her than Mother Mallol's recitations from the Chant of Light. She dreamed of one day owning a proper easel, canvas, a set of oil inks and brushes, but this was an investment beyond that which her parents could afford, and so it remained a distant dream. Still, Max refused to give up. She created her art by using whatever she could find, which often involved using things that the Waking Sea gave up, beautiful seashells, smoothly polished pebbles or pieces of wood, maybe even pieces of amber or ancient coins washed up from the sunken ships that the bottom of the sea was supposedly rife with. Max had a rare talent in arranging all these different objects on a canvas so that they combined into something uniquely beautiful, and she had gained something like a minor notoriety when during the local fair of last Satinalia, Teyrn Cousland himself had bought one of her 'paintings'. Only for the servant's quarters, of course, but it was still a great honor and the memory made young Max swell with pride up to this very day.

"Think you can use this?" Max smiled and nodded eagerly, when Chloe bent down to pick up a beautiful star-shaped seashell in a rare pinkish hue. "Anything to support my favorite artist," the taller girl grinned goofily as she reached out to deposit the shell in the little pouch that Max always carried with her everywhere, just on the off-chance that she would come across something interesting.

"Thanks," Max beamed at her best friend. "How was the day at the forge? Same old, same old?" Chloe's father William was one of the best blacksmith's in Highever, and Chloe had ended up in the same apprenticeship situation as Max, albeit through more tragic circumstances. Chloe's mother Joyce had died in childbirth, leaving her husband alone to raise their baby daughter, and even fourteen years later, William would not tolerate any talk of ever marrying again. This had left Chloe without any chance of having a sibling, effectively sealing her fate in being destined to follow in her father's footsteps in a profession that was very much male-dominated. Still, despite it being physically punishing, Max rarely heard Chloe complaining about her lot in life, in fact her friend seemed to rather enjoy metalwork, discovering that she had a particular knack in creating different kinds of jewelry. As a result, Max now owned an entire box full with various knickknacks made by Chloe, rings, brooches, anklets, bracelets, bobby pins, faithfully holding on to every little thing that Chloe had gifted her, despite the other girl's urging to throw away some of her early creations so as not to embarrass her.

"Pretty much, yeah," Chloe frowned a little, rolling her expressive bright blue eyes. "Stole some time to work on a surprise for you, though," the strawberry blonde added with a chuckle.

"Oh... what is it?" Max gave the other girl her best pleading puppy stare, but Chloe appeared unimpressed.

"How would that be a surprise if I told you all about it, doofus," Chloe grinned, playfully punching Max in the shoulder. "You'll find out in less than a month, anyway," she added, referring to Max's upcoming fourteen birthday.

"Bah," Max grumbled good-naturedly, stopping and turning to face the sea again, looking at how the rays of the slowly setting sun reflected upon the waters, enveloping everything in a warmly glowing orange light. The dark silhouettes of the ships out in the sea looked particularly mystical in this light, and even if most of them were merely simple trading cogs, it was an old game for Max and Chloe to pretend that they were actually mighty caravels belonging to the pirate fleet that they both ruled as mischievous, deadly and beautiful pirate queens. "I don't think I will ever tire of this view," she spoke softly, unable to take her eyes away from the horizon.

"I guess that means you no longer think yourself too good for this town, huh?" Chloe winked at her, though in earnest she was just as mesmerized by the view as Max. "Let's face it, we're never getting away from Highever, Maxima. Then again... maybe there are worse places to get stuck in, right?"

"Well... duh. Those other places don't have you," Max grinned at her friend.

"True... and I'm still not letting you know what you're getting for your birthday," Chloe laughed, once again playfully bumping against the smaller girl's shoulder.

"My shoulder is going to hurt like mad if you keep doing that, Chloe," Max pointed out. "You probably aren't even aware of it, but you've become so much stronger as of late. You're not just my best friend, you're also my best bodyguard." While they both were of very lean builds, in Chloe's case it was very deceptive, her work at the forge having given her a considerable amount of hard muscles. And it wasn't just because of work. Unlike Max, who was horrified by weapons, Chloe could ramble on for hours about a particularly well crafted sword her father had made, and she had also received some basic weapons training as well, courtesy of some of her father's satisfied customers.

"Maybe we should trade places for a year or two," Chloe suggested with a wry grin. "You go work the forge with my dad. I'll hang out in the bakery with your folks and gorge myself fat on cupcakes."

"No, no, I think I'm good," Max smiled. "I wonder..." she began to speak, then falling silent, deep in thought, continuing only after Chloe had gently prodded her in the ribs. "Oh, right... I was just thinking... I'm starting to become comfortable with what I think my life will be like, and I'm wondering... am I not too young to feel this way? To accept that I'll never be more than what destiny has arranged for me? I would never want to leave you, though..."

"Ha! As if I didn't know you, Max Caulfield," Chloe mock-glared at her. "You're going to abandon me for Aedan Cousland at the first opportunity."

"No way! You're going to betray me first with Fergus!" Max laughed. It was a running joke between the pair where they constantly accused each other of being infatuated with the teyrn's sons, when in fact they were probably the only two girls at this age in the whole of Highever who did not harbor any true romantic notions towards the offspring of Highever's ruler.

"Well, he is a good looking young man," Chloe nodded seriously, then bursting out in laughter when Max punched her in the shoulder, a slightly challenging proposition considering that Chloe had stretched at least a good couple of inches taller than her younger friend. "Hey, who's being violent now?" she added with an amused chortle.

"Only because you deserved it," Max grinned. "Should we start turning back? I wouldn't want to miss dinner."

"Nah, you're just bored of me already," Chloe mock-pouted.

"I thought that you and your dad were supposed to come over for dinner at our place," Max sighed, shaking her head. "So, I'm stuck with you for the rest of the evening anyway, goofball." Her parents, Ryan and Vanessa, had befriended the widower William when both the children were still very young. While their parents worked to support their families, young Max and Chloe had been left in the care of the lay sisters at the local chantry, where they had immediately befriended each other and gotten into a whole lot of trouble together. Up to this day, instead of reverently praising the Maker's greatness, amongst themselves the two girls simply referred to the Andrastian deity as 'The Great Mabari In The Sky'.

"Oh. Right. I knew that!" Chloe exclaimed, blushing slightly as she rubbed the back of her neck. "You know what's the best part about that arrangement?"

"That you won't have to cook back at your place?" Max asked, rolling her eyes, especially when Chloe grinned broadly and nodded her head. "You're such a predictable dork," Max growled, lightly pushing the other girl, Chloe barely managing to maintain her balance.

"Hey!" Chloe protested, nimbly jumping away before an incoming wave had thoroughly soaked her knee-length boots. "Seriously though... I should let your mom know how much I appreciate her doing this. I know she does it partly so that I don't have to spend hours cooking every day and we can hang out more..."

"Yeah, mom is awesome," Max nodded with a happy smile on her lips. "And don't worry, she knows how much we both appreciate what she's doing. I try to tell her that every day."

"Good. You're my Super Max, after all," Chloe chuckled, putting her arm around the younger girl's shoulders. "Hey... would you look at that," she pointed a little in the distance, two other people walking by the seashore, a rather foppishly dressed young man wearing a silly cap with a feather in it, accompanied by a girl of similar age, dressed in a rather impractical long white dress the bottom of which had already become quite drenched in the seawater. "Some noble posers coming to occupy the beach of Max and Chloe? Unacceptable! Off with their heads!"

"Chloe... let's just ignore them," Max sighed, shaking her head. "The beach is big enough for everyone, right? You don't have to start anything."

"Ugh, I wasn't really planning to, doofus," Chloe rolled her eyes in reply. "Why would I want to mess with some nobles, anyway. They're trouble. Let's just move past them and be on our way."

Max increased her pace at that, trying to keep up with Chloe as they approached the young pair of nobles. The girl was certainly very pretty, with short, blonde hair, but a haughty and spoiled expression on her seemingly always pouty face. The boy was also rather handsome, and he somehow seemed familiar, though Max at first could not recall where she had seen him before. However, when Chloe and Max reached them and tried to walk by on the shore, the young man suddenly and purposefully stepped into Max's path, sharply tackling her with his shoulder and almost knocking her down into the wet sand.

"Hey! What's your fucking problem, shit-face?" Chloe barked, immediately looking ready to tear the young noble apart even as she reached out a supportive arm to help Max steady herself.

"Care to repeat that, peasant whore?" the young man growled dangerously.

"Careful, Chloe," Max warned, having noticed that an elaborate rapier was hanging sheathed at the noble youth's belt, the push also having jogged her memory so that she recalled where she had seen the boy before. "That's the son of Arl Prescott. From the Arling of Arcadia Bay."

"That's right," the boy nodded at them haughtily. "At least one of you dirty peasants know to address their betters with some respect."

"She called you shit-face, Nathan," the girl in the white dress told her companion. "Make her apologize!"

"Stay out of this, Victoria," Nathan scoffed at the girl behind him, then turning back to Chloe. "But yeah... yeah, you better apologize, whore," he growled at the strawberry blonde, drawing his rapier threateningly.

"Careful not to hurt yourself with that, moron," Chloe chuckled, not at all impressed, even if Max appeared very frightened and was trying to drag her away. "I could kick your ass with... with this very stick, if I wanted to," she laughed, picking up a piece of wood that had been washed ashore.

"Oh, you asked for this!" Nathan exclaimed, charging at them. Chloe quickly did her best to push Max out of the harm's way before she easily dodged Nathan's clumsy swing, the wooden stick hitting his hand with all her might, forcing the boy to cry out and drop the rapier. Chloe then stepped up and kicked the weapon several yards into the Waking Sea, where it promptly sank to the sandy bottom.

"What a loser," she chuckled at the seething noble, cradling his hurt arm.

"Let's get out of here, Chloe," Max spoke frantically, trying to pull her friend away. "He could get us into a lot of trouble!"

"You're damn right I will!" Nathan growled, turning around to face the path that was leading up the cliffs towards the gates of Highever. "Guards! Guards!"

"Shit," Chloe cursed, seeing a frighteningly large man barreling down the mountain path towards the beach, weapon already drawn. "Run!" she called out to Max, turning to bolt away, but Nathan shot out his leg and managed to trip her at the last moment. "Run, Max!" Chloe called out pleadingly when she saw that Max had literally frozen in place, the armed guard already upon them. "Save yourself!"

From Max's perception, everything around her seemed to be happening in slow motion. She could hear Nathan's angry bark, pointing accusingly at Chloe, still sprawled on the ground. She could see the guard nodding without a moment of hesitation, and then raising his sword to strike at her best friend. She could see Chloe desperately bringing up the wooden stick to absorb the blow, but it splintered in her hands as the blade cut through it, about to pierce her heart...

Suddenly, Max felt her chest bursting with strange, powerful emotion, making her entire body tremble, an energy she never thought she possessed suddenly coursing through her light frame, almost like wisps of lightning crackling at her fingertips, struggling to break free. "Chloe! Chloe, no!" she screamed as she saw the sword biting into her best friend's chest, sending splatters of blood everywhere, and suddenly her world exploded in white fury, tearing the reality around her apart. Max had no idea what was happening to her, she had no control over it, she simply saw... shapes, events around her... changing. She saw the wooden stick and the steel sword exchanging hands, saw Chloe inexplicably trading places with the guard... before darkness overpowered her and she plopped down onto the sand, momentarily unconscious.

When Max finally came to and reared her head, she could see Nathan already well on his way up the cliffside path to Highever, yelling "Mage! Mage!" as he ran, Victoria struggling to keep up with her beau. _Great Mabari! There's a mage nearby? We must escape too!_ Max thought to herself frantically as she rose to her feet, then regarding the shocking scene before her with immediate realization. _Wait... I... **I** am the mage... _

She bent down next to Chloe, lying in the sand unmoving, praying to the Maker that her friend would miraculously be alright. Max had seen the sword piercing Chloe's chest, inflicting lethal injuries, but now... now, Chloe appeared unharmed, unconscious, but breathing peacefully. The same, however, could not be said about the Prescott guard. The man had a... horrible looking deep hole in his chest, red leaking out of it and mixing with the seawater, staining the sand around him.

_Maker! Was that... was that my magic that killed him? That's horrible, but... but at least I saved Chloe, right?_ Max thought frantically, but the sight and the energy she had expended quickly became far too much for her. Her knees grew weak and buckled beneath her, the young girl collapsing into the sand next to her best friend.

* * *

"We have to do something! We could... we could hide her somewhere! Ryan... please!" her mother's pleading voice came to Max as if through a fog, the young girl sitting by Chloe's side as she slept peacefully in her bed at the Price household.

"Calm down, Vanessa, please," her father tried to remain rational as always, but the desperation in his voice failed to escape Max. "William... what do you think?" Ryan looked up at Chloe's father, standing at the feet of his daughter's bed with a grim look on his face.

"Ryan, Vanessa... please, don't think me ungrateful for what I have to say," he sighed deeply. "I would gladly cut off my right arm if I thought it would help Max. I mean... she saved my Chloe! But... the entire city already knows what has happened. The news have reached the chantry, and... and I suspect _they_ are on their way."

"Mom... dad," Max spoke up hoarsely, knowing all too well what William was referring to. The templars were coming to take her away, just like they did with every child who had manifested affinity for magic. She would be taken to the nearest Circle of Magi and locked away in a more or less gilded cage, allowing interaction only with fellow mages and the stern templars guarding them. "Please, don't take any risks on my behalf, I beg you. If I got you into trouble as well... I couldn't live with myself. Just... just let them take me," she sniffed quietly, continuing to hold Chloe's hand.

"My baby... I can't... I won't let go of you without a fight!" her mother cried, embracing her from behind.

"You must, mom," Max spoke softly. "You must... there is no other way." _I'm going to be locked up in the Circle for the rest of my life... I'm never going to see Chloe again. But... at least I saved her life... and that is worth any sacrifice._

The dreaded heavy knock on the front door came soon afterwards. William eventually walked up to the entrance and allow the unwelcomed guests inside, four stern men in heavy templar armor, never raising the visors of their helms, never willing to display any sign of humanity or compassion, never allowed to show a shred of sympathy towards mages. As they strode into Chloe's bedroom where Max's parents were sharing their final few hugs with their daughter, Max could not help but to think bitterly of how quickly and suddenly everything had turned around in her life. The fate of being chained to a boring but secure existence as a baker in Highever now lay shattered on the floor, smashed by the heavy steel boots of the templars. _Did it happen because I was complaining so much about what I had? Is this just the way the Great Mabari in the Sky shows his displeasure? Or... is it all just down to the cruel game of chance?_

The templars, remorseless and uninterested in the family drama, did not give them much time before one of the men placed a firm, gauntleted hand on Max's shoulder and dragged her away from Chloe's bed, forcing her to release her friend's hand. Max's heart was breaking as the templars led her way, having to listen to her mother's desperate cries, but the sobbing girl's last glance at the life she was forced to leave behind was directed at her best friend, lying peacefully in her bed.

Chloe stirred in her sleep as the templars dragged Max across the doorstep, but she failed to open her eyes. Max never got to say her farewells.


	2. Chapter 2

_Year 9:22 of Dragon Age_

_Highever, Ferelden_

Three months remote from the incident that saw her best friend Max Caulfield taken away by the templars, Chloe Price still felt like the most miserable person in all of Highever, despite how many times her father as well as Ryan and Vanessa had told her that these feelings of hurt and separation would fade with time. If anything, Chloe grew even more angry and frustrated with every passing day, almost seeing it as some kind of insult that Max's parents were actually capable of functioning and going on with their everyday lives. Of course, she understood that they missed their daughter terribly but were simply much better at hiding their pain, while Chloe, the eternal wild child, wore her heart on her sleeve and never shied away from shouting her outrage at the world.

And as more and more time passed, Chloe Price arrived at a simple conclusion. She could not move on from what had happened. She would **not** move on. Max had sacrificed her freedom by saving her life. Where was the fairness in that? She could continue to live the life that her father had secured and imagined for her, but how could she ever live with herself if she would always have to look at everything she had only to realize that it was all bought by sacrificing the freedom of her best, her one true friend.

She needed to do something, not just for Max, but also for herself. She had to make an effort to help her friend, so that she could actually live with herself. Chloe made sure to speak with as many people in Highever as possible to find out everything she could about the Circle of Magi, including the historian Aldous at Castle Cousland and Mother Mallol at the Highever chantry. After spending an entire week to ponder upon everything she had learned, Chloe eventually arrived at her decision to pursue the only logical path she could take if she ever wanted to see Max's smiling face again.

One evening, having toiled particularly hard to cook her father the best dinner he'd enjoyed in a while, young Chloe finally took the courage to approach William, seeing that he appeared in a particularly agreeable mood, especially having downed a mug of ale following the meal. "Father?" she spoke up, standing by the dinner table, looking firm and resolute. "May I ask you something?"

"Chloe, poppet, you can ask me anything, especially after serving me this kind of feast fit for the kings," William smiled softly at his only child.

"Dad... please don't be angry by what I have to tell you, but... there is something I must do," Chloe began, hesitant at first, but the thought of doing this all for Max gave her the strength and confidence she needed. "Father, I want to join the Templar Order."

William blinked hard, at first unsure if he had heard his daughter correctly. Chloe's words seemed so absurd that at first he wanted to laugh out aloud, but he stopped himself as soon as he saw the burning intensity in his daughter's clear blue eyes. "Oh... my daughter," he shook his head, speaking softly. "You just can't let go. You just can't forget Max, can you?"

"I will never forget Max! No matter how many times you, or Vanessa, or Ryan tell me that the pain will pass, it won't, I know it won't!" Chloe exclaimed vehemently. "I must do this. Please... please, father, give me your permission to enter the tournament." Every year, one youth from Highever would be sent to Denerim, the capital of Ferelden, to be trained as a templar, a prestigious honor and a lucrative arrangement, especially for the families mired in poverty. Any youth of age sixteen and under could enter the competition, as long as they had the permission from their parents.

"Chloe... I don't know how to tell you this," William sighed, his heart aching for his daughter. "I understand why you want to do it... or at least I think I do, but... I don't know whether you understand what kind of life you would condemn yourself to as a templar. I know my headstrong and impulsive little girl. You would chafe under the rigid discipline and countless rules of the Order; it would crush your spirit swiftly. By attempting to escape one misery, you would only plunge yourself into an even deeper one."

"I know what I'm signing up for, dad," Chloe shook her head stubbornly. "Mother Mallol told me everything there is to know about the templars, and I still want to... I have to go through with it! Mother Mallol also explained me about the compensation that the Chantry is paying the families who give their children to the Order... I mean... it's far more than I could make at the forge, dad, so you would be provided for!"

"You really think you've thought everything through, haven't you?" William shook his head. "Do you also know that the templars have to memorize the entire Chant of Light, and they must be able to recite it at any time of day or night?" Chloe frowned and gave a minute shake of the head. "I know that you bear no particular love for the Chant, daughter, Mother Mallol has given you plenty of grief about it in the past. I know you, poppet, and you could never memorize it the way a templar must. Just... just go wash the dishes, child, and try not to think so much about Max. I'm sure she is perfectly happy amongst her own kind."

Chloe sighed and turned around, retreating in defeat, fuming in silence and hating the kind of world where her friend was no longer being thought of like a human, all because she had used her gift of magic to save her.

* * *

Three more months passed in Highever before Chloe once again approached her father to confront him about the dream that she stubbornly refused to give up on. "Any stanza, dad," she spoke, a daring, determined look in her narrowed eyes. "Name any stanza, and I'll recite it to you."

"What are you on about now, Chloe?" William frowned at her.

"The Chant," Chloe replied. "Ask me for any stanza in the Chant, and I'll give it to you."

"Sweet Maker... when will you finally give up!" William exclaimed. In response, Chloe merely crossed her arms on her chest and glared at her father. "Fine... fine, why not if you are determined to make a fool of yourself. Give me something easy... Fifth Canticle of Threnodies, Stanza Two."

Chloe closed her eyes, focusing on her memory before starting to recite the verse.

_"Then in the center of heaven_

_He called forth_

_A city with towers of gold,_

_Streets with music for cobblestones,_

_And banners which flew without wind._

_There, He dwelled, waiting_

_To see the wonders_

_His children would create."_

"Well." If her father was impressed, he certainly did a good job of not showing it, instead frowning a little. "Like I said, that was an easy one. You were supposed to learn that when you were eight. Something more challenging, then... like the sermon Andraste gave at the Valarian Fields."

Chloe did not hesitate long this time either, the words etched in her mind and the memory coming back swiftly.

_"Many are those who wander in sin,_

_Despairing that they are lost forever,_

_But the one who repents, who has faith_

_Unshaken by the darkness of the world,_

_And boasts not, nor gloats_

_Over the misfortunes of the weak, but takes delight_

_In the Mabari's-... uh, In the Maker's law and creations, she shall know_

_The peace of the Maker's benediction._

_The Light-..."_

"Alright! Alright, that's enough," William interrupted her, looking a little surprised now. "Obviously you know that one as well. Let's go with something that I know Mother Mallol hasn't taught you at the chantry. Give me the three final stanzas of Trials."

"Not a problem," Chloe shrugged, though she did hesitate for a moment before the verses floated up to the forefront of her thoughts and she could begin to recite them.

_"Though all before me is shadow,_

_Yet shall the Maker be my guide._

_I shall not be left to wander the drifting roads of the Beyond._

_There is no darkness in the Maker's Light_

_And nothing that He has wrought shall be lost._

_I am not alone._

_Even as I stumble on the path_

_With my eyes closed, yet I see_

_The Light is here._

_Draw your last breath, my friends._

_Cross the Veil and the Fade and all the stars in the sky._

_Rest at the Maker's right hand,_

_And be forgiven."_

"Well, I'll be..." William's eyes widened after Chloe had finished her recitation flawlessly. "How..."

"Dad, I've done nothing else during my free time over these past three months than studying the Chant of Light," Chloe replied simply. "I've stayed up hours past midnight, reading and memorizing that bloody awful thing. That's how I've done it."

"Damn... I was wondering why you no longer seemed interested in fiddling around, creating all your jewelry knickknacks," William sighed, giving a very determined Chloe a hard, searching stare. "You're really determined to do this, aren't you? You are prepared to quite possibly ruin your life for the incredibly slim chance of being able to do something for Max? Is it really worth it?"

"It is," Chloe nodded stubbornly. "And while this is for Max, it's not... just for her, you know? I've realized that I have to do this for myself. Dad, it's been half a year, and it hasn't gotten any easier! Surely you must understand that I will never be able to accept just... just doing nothing!"

"Maker... what am I to do," William rose from his seat and walked over to the window, looking outside in the darkness as if waiting for some kind of divine sign. "Tomorrow morning, you rise with the first light and meet me behind the smithy. And bring your practice sword."

With an abrupt cry of relief, Chloe barged forward and hugged her father from behind. "Thank you, dad," she whispered as William slowly turned around and gently embraced his big daughter. "Thank you..."

* * *

_Year 9:23 of Dragon Age_

_Highever, Ferelden_

Several months later, with the arrival of the spring, Highever became the host for the annual tournament for the right to travel to Denerim and join the Templar Order. As he had promised, William entered Chloe as one of the many participants, putting her name down as 'C. Price' and landing an ambiguously smeared ink blotch next to the square where her gender was supposed to be marked down. William had told his daughter to keep her helmet on at all times while in the competition area because while girls were permitted to enter the contest, in reality the practice was discouraged and certain judges always tried to employ underhanded tactics to keep girls from advancing too far into the tournament. Still, fortunately at her fifteen years of age, Chloe was not particularly well endowed in the chest area, so least she had the body type to easily pass as a thin and somewhat spindly boy, as long as she did not remove her helmet.

The first stage of the competition was comprised of various feats of strength and agility, simply to thin down the large pool of participants down to the last sixteen who would then participate in a knockout tournament, until only the victor remained. Chloe was languishing in the middle of the pack following the tests that measured brute strength, becoming a little worried about her chances, but the various running, jumping and climbing exercises were where she truly excelled, easily elevating herself amongst the ten best, earning herself the right to compete in the makeshift arena for the right to travel to Denerim and make the first significant step towards her dream.

The two initial rounds of one-on-one fighting did not pose many problems for Chloe. She was helped greatly by the intense practice sessions with her father, as well as by William's tailor-made chain mail from the best materials he had saved over the years, and of course, Chloe's own extreme determination to succeed and not stumble at this final hurdle. Her penultimate fight was against a year older youth by the name of Zachary, son of a local mason, quite a big lad who had given her a bit of a pummeling before Chloe eventually gathered herself and managed to trip and then disarm the big lug, paving herself the path to the tournament's grand finale.

Only one contestant stood in her way now, but... even looking at him before the fight made Chloe's arms shake a little, heart pounding in her chest. Logan was the son of the captain of Highever guard, looking like a man amongst boys in this competition, and a rumor was making the rounds that he was actually seventeen, or even eighteen summers old, but considering that his father was sitting amongst the judges of the competition, these claims were quickly dismissed and the final bout proceeded with the heavily fancied Logan immediately going on a furious attack and trying to mercilessly pound his small but agile opponent into the ground.

Ten minutes into the fight, and Chloe was definitely not doing well. Logan was toying with her and they both knew it, the larger youth having delivered so many blows already, some of them having dropped Chloe to the ground, and yet she always kept getting back up to her feet, hopeless as it seemed, summoning her final vestiges of strength by recalling Max's face before her eyes, as if to remind herself what she was fighting for.

A few more minutes later, things turned for worse when one of Logan's hits struck her so hard that Chloe's entire left side flared with sharp, piercing pain, as if her rib... or ribs had snapped from the blow, greatly reducing her mobility. "Why. Won't. You. Stay. Down!" Logan shouted, breathing heavily, as their practice swords locked, but her opponent's heavy fist caught Chloe in the chest again, knocking her to the ground and leaving the girl slow to get back up.

"Someone stop the fight!" "He's going to kill that boy!" "Break it up, already!" came the cries from the crowd, and even some of the judges were looking uncertainly amongst themselves, wondering whether they should interfere. Still, Teyrn Cousland himself was in attendance, as always at these tournaments, and he nodded his head to allow the fight to proceed, leaving the judges unable to act. Chloe refused to even spare a glance at where she knew her father was standing in the crowd, silently praying for her to stop, but she simply could not stop herself from getting back up, probably one final time. _Max,_ she reminded herself, fighting through the pain to rise again. _I can't give up on Max..._

"Are you insane?" Logan barked at her in disbelief. "I gave you the chance to stay down! Now you're going to suffer!" he shouted, aiming a heavy kick at her crotch, but then appearing rather stunned when the 'boy' he was fighting did not double over from excruciating pain. "What the-..." he blinked, hesitating for a moment.

This was the one opening that Chloe had sought, had suffered for so long to receive. With all her remaining might she brought up her sword, taking it into a two-handed grip almost like a club and smashing it against the temples of the surprised Logan. The ox-like youth groaned, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he fell to his knees, then collapsing face first in the fresh sawdust of the arena.

The fight was over. She had won. Ignoring the terrible pain seizing her left side, Chloe threw away her helmet allowing the strawberry blonde hair to spill out and raised her arms in the air, crying out in jubilation, as the crowd as well as the panel of judges was seized by a confused and disapproving murmur as soon as she had revealed her identity.

"This is a disgrace!" Logan's father was the first to raise his voice from the judge's stand. "This girl has cheated! My son should be declared the winner!"

"And how exactly has the lass been cheating, Guard Captain Robertson?" Teyrn Cousland spoke up in a thunderous voice, jumping into the ring of sawdust and approaching the slightly confused and staggering Chloe.

"Your Grace... if Logan had known he was fighting a girl, he would have never tried to kick her in the balls... Ser," Guard Captain Robertson replied, refusing to let the matter go.

"Indeed," the teyrn smirked, standing next to Chloe, her adrenaline rush starting to fade and leaving her in horrible, stinging pain, but she bravely bit the inside of her cheek and refused to show how much she was hurting. "I think I've seen you around the blacksmith's shop, girl. Do you have a name?"

"Chloe. Chloe Price, Ser," she managed through gritted teeth.

"Well, Chloe Price, the Guard Captain has accused you of cheating," Teyrn Cousland looked straight at her. "How do you respond to that?"

"I... uh..." Chloe struggled to sort her thoughts through the numbing pain, but thinking of Max once again pushed her past the threshold of her suffering, giving her the clarity of mind to answer. "We compete to become templars, Ser. As a templar... I may not always know what I will be up against, so it would be wrong to simply assume that I am fighting a man. It could be... well, anything. A templar has to be strong and bold, but a templar must also be smart. I will be that kind of a templar for Highever." _But mostly for Max,_ she added to herself _._

"I am satisfied," Teyrn Cousland said as he took Chloe's hand and raised her arm high in the air. "Here is your victor, people of Highever... Chloe Price!" The crowd immediately reacted with roaring cheers and applause, even those who had booed disapprovingly moments ago having to go along with celebrating the victor, for the teyrn's verdict would not be questioned. Chloe's reaction to the jubilant crowd was slightly embarrassing, however, as the pain eventually became too hard to bear and she collapsed against the teyrn's side, fading into unconsciousness.

* * *

Two months later, well in the middle of the summer, having finally recovered from her severe injuries, Chloe Price sat at the back of a merchant's wagon as it slowly rolled out of Highever. A locker with her meager belongings stood at her feet, the heavy tome of the Chant of Light lay in her lap, as she earnestly intended to use every waking moment of the journey to refresh her memory of the verses, knowing that more tests, both spiritual and martial awaited her at the capital.

And still, despite knowing that the hardest challenges still awaited her, Chloe Price felt the happiest she had ever been in her short life, even if she was leaving her beloved father and her old, comfortable life behind. She had just successfully completed her first step towards being reunited with Max, her Max, and almost eight months since their separation it still seemed like the only thing that truly mattered.

Denerim and the Templar Order awaited her. A new chapter in the life of Chloe Price had begun.


	3. Chapter 3

_Year 9:23 of Dragon Age_

_Kinloch Hold, Ferelden_

It took several months for Maxine 'Max' Caulfield to finally accept that it was not simply some kind of a freak accident why the templars had plucked her from the comfortable life she had enjoyed in Highever and brought her all the way to the Circle Tower, rising above the clear blue waters of Lake Calenhad surrounding it. Max did indeed possess the affinity for magic, but it took great patience on the part of her tutors at the Circle of Magi to teach Max the fine art of how to tap into the Fade to summon the wisps of raw energy necessary to funnel even the simplest of mage spells, and even more importantly, how to ignore the seductive whispers of the creatures of the Fade, always looking to escape into the physical realm by possessing a young and inexperienced mage, just like Max. But it was in that very moment when a simple lightning bolt had sprung from the tip of her practice staff and struck the wall to dissipate harmlessly, that Max understood that the templars were right, and her being at the Circle of Magi was not some kind of terrible misunderstanding. She was a mage, and she had to learn how to control the power locked within her. Whether she liked it or not, she was now Apprentice Caulfield, and she would spend the rest of her life trying to coexist with the volatile forces that she hadn't even been aware of possessing.

Still, even as Max learned more and more spells from the different schools of magic under the guidance of her many tutors at the Circle, the strange magic that had brought her to Kinloch Hold never again manifested itself. Both the templars and the senior enchanters had been very concerned after the reports made by the Prescott's seemed to suggest that Max posed terrible danger to everyone in the Circle, as well as to the society at large, but after Max had spent her first few months at the Circle without any strange incidents interrupting her daily routine, the templars and the senior mages had gradually relaxed and stopped paying special attention to her. In the end, everyone had been happy to accept the theory of First Enchanter Irving, claiming that it had been an isolated incident because of Max's emotional state due to the immediate danger to her friend, also warning that an attempt to replicate this event should never be made. Max was only too happy to accept this verdict, if it meant that she no longer had to deal with increased scrutiny.

Of course, the first few weeks Max could not focus on much else other than her desperation over being parted from her parents and Chloe, crying herself to sleep each night as she curled into a tiny ball of despair from the thought of never again being able to see her mom and dad, not to mention her best friend. But even during these dark days where she truly felt that her life was no longer worth living, Max never regretted the incident that had landed her here. She found it far easier to accept this sort of existence when she knew that Chloe was still out there, enjoying her freedom, alive and happy. The alternative of her surviving and having to attend her best friend's funeral after she had been stabbed to death... was infinitely far more horrifying for Max.

And as weeks began to pass, Max's sadness and loneliness eventually began to ease a little, especially when she became more and more aware that there were quite a few apprentices of her age at the Circle Tower, all having been brought here against their will, through similar volatile manifestations of their power. With time, she was moved from separate quarters under close templar supervision, into the apprentice quarters on the first floor of the massive Circle Tower, becoming roommates with another fairly recent arrival to the Circle, a quiet and shy young girl by the name of Kate Marsh.

Kate's circumstances were particularly complicated, because she came from a family of deeply devout Andrastians. Her father was a lay brother at the Denerim chantry, renowned for having partaken in an expedition together with the famous scholar Brother Genitivi. Kate's mother was actually one of the more prominent Revered Mothers at the Denerim's chantry, and both her parents took the manifestation of their daughter's magic very poorly, treating it as a divine sign from the Maker, inflicting their family with a terrible curse, likely for not spreading His word vigilantly enough. Kate herself was deeply religious, far more so than Max, and she shared the deeply held beliefs of her parents that magic was a curse inflicted upon those who had fallen from the Maker's grace. Every day, Kate spent several hours in the small chapel on the second floor of the tower, praying before the statue of Prophet Andraste and seeking absolution for her imagined sins.

The two girls had talked extensively on the matter, mostly at Kate's insistence, even if Max herself would be the first to admit that the other girl, while deeply religious, was not trying to impress her beliefs upon others. Max was relieved for Kate's lack of forcefulness, because Max herself was very polite and disliked confrontation, so she did not want to disappoint Kate by showing just how vehemently she disagreed with the other girl's idea that her magic was sinful and evil. Yes, it had forever stripped Max of her freedom, but this wasn't innately because of the magic itself, it was because of the people who took the Chant of Light to mean that life in seclusion from the rest of the society should be the fate of every mage. And most importantly, somehow, in some way that she did not truly understood, magic had allowed Max to save her best friend, her Chloe. How could something like that be sinful? No… her magic was a gift, and Max knew that she would never stop thinking about it as a gift, no matter how much prejudice she was forced to confront from the world that surrounded her.

As for the other apprentices of similar age to her and Kate, most of them were girls, but none of them became close friends with Max, at least not initially. One of them, Brooke, was the child of wealthy nobles from Denerim, and she tended to look down on almost everyone in their shared classes, but not due to her noble birth because it no longer mattered here in the Circle. Brooke quite simply excelled at her studies, surpassing everyone of her age, and this made the girl rather prideful in spite of the caution voiced by their tutors. Stella was yet another apprentice, a quiet girl from Amaranthine, who had shared a room with Kate before Max's arrival at Kinloch Hold, but now she had moved in with another girl, Alyssa. The two didn't seem to have much in common and mostly just went about their daily routine by themselves. While Stella was a reasonably diligent student of magic who constantly achieved above average results in class, Alyssa seemed constantly distracted, as if living in an alternate reality, appearing utterly disinterested in magic and how to master it.

The only boy that shared most classes with Max and Kate was a young lad from Lothering by the name of Warren, son of the local innkeeper. He was a pleasant enough youth and the only one amongst Max's peers who could rival Brooke's accomplishments, and also someone who appeared very lonely in the Circle, the older boys in the apprentice quarters always giving the poor lad a hard time. Expelled from the boy's club amongst the apprentices, he was desperate to find friends amongst the girls, and Max and Kate gladly included him in their small group, spending many hours in the vast library of Kinloch Hold, studying together under the ever watchful eyes of their silent and stone faced keepers, the grim templars.

Attending classes at the Circle Tower was also an entirely new experience for Max, her only education having come at the Highever chantry, where aside from teaching them basic writing and reading skills, most of the time was spent studying the Chant of Light. Things were very much different at the Circle, however. There were about forty to fifty apprentices between the ages of twelve to eighteen, few enough for the senior enchanters to tailor an individual approach for every student. The first few months had been particularly hard for Max as she had to take a lot of individual classes simply to catch up with the other students, but in all fairness, she later realized that in a way it had been a blessing in disguise because being exhausted and constantly occupied with her lessons, had prevented her from descending too deep into the dark pit of depression. Once she had caught up with the others and was able to attend most classes together with Kate and Warren, Max actually started to enjoy her studies at the Circle Tower, feeling as if a brand new world of knowledge that she could have never explored at Highever was starting to open up to her... not that it was still worth the tradeoff with her freedom, but Max was slowly starting to become more and more determined to make the most of her new life.

The classes themselves were all broken down by the different schools of magic, taught by the enchanters who specialized in that particular school. The first class that Max started to attend together with the others was Basic Arcane, taught by Enchanter Grant, a slightly plump and eternally cheerful dark-skinned lady from the faraway free city of Wycome. During the lessons taught by Enchanter Grant, Max received her first mage staff and learned the most basic skills of any mage, such as how to tap into the Fade and channel its energy through her staff, how to summon mage lights to turn her staff into the proverbial torch, followed by a lesson on how to erect arcane shields to protect herself with an energy barrier.

At first, Max was a little confused as to why they were even being taught this defensive magic. Weren't they in a place that was a sanctuary for all mages, as the Chantry always claimed, a safe haven where the templars protected them with all their vigilance? Kate and Warren had merely shrugged when Max raised her question to them, so after a week of nervous indecision she finally dared to approach Enchanter Grant after class to ask about her concern. The dark-skinned woman had chuckled and kindly explained that while she did not want Max to harbor false hopes, it was not true that mages could never leave the Circle Tower under any circumstances. In times of war or other extreme situations, the Circle mages could be drafted into military service, where they obviously would still be watched closely by the templars, but this was one of the reasons why mages still needed to perfect their command of magic.

As Max sat in the library and pondered upon Enchanter Grant's explanation, she felt that despite how much she longed to escape these walls, she did not want that to happen through the circumstances that her tutor had described. A war tearing through the lands of Ferelden, or something equally horrible... it could put the lives of her parents in danger, it could undo what she had done by saving Chloe, her best friend. And so, looking at the clear blue waters of Lake Calenhad, surrounding the tall spire of Circle Tower and cutting off any chance of escape, Max was slowly and reluctantly starting to accept that she would not be able to escape this place.

All that was left for Max was to focus on her studies and try to find as much joy as she could in her growing friendship with Kate and Warren. Once Max had progressed enough in Basic Arcane, she began to attend classes in the Creation school of magic, something that many more snotty and arrogant apprentices like Brooke looked down upon because it was not flashy or exciting, but Max rather enjoyed the classes of Senior Enchanter Wynne, even if she could have done with fewer sermons from the Chant that the older mage so loved. In Creation, they were taught basic healing and restoration spells, how to use the raw energy of the Fade to briefly increase their own physical abilities or bolster their allies, as well as how to inscribe the most basic of glyphs, to either provide healing, protection from various attacks or to repel enemies.

Just recently, Max had been put through rigorous tests in these two basic schools of magic, and her aptitude and overall maturity had been considered sufficient for her to progress and start attending classes in the more advanced schools of magic. Oh, certainly nothing like the school of Spirit magic taught by the First Enchanter Irving himself, or Entropy by Senior Enchanter Uldred, but she would be allowed to learn the Elemental school of fire and ice magic from the elven Senior Enchanter Leorah, and Primal school of earth and sky magic from the older and often forgetful Enchanter Sweeney. But most importantly, Max was delighted that she would be allowed to take classes in the Illusion magic with her favorite enchanter of the lot, the tutor who had sat through most of her individual lessons after she had just arrived at the Circle Tower, Enchanter Jefferson.

So, it was at the very end of her sixth month at the Circle of Magi that Enchanter Jefferson stopped by the apprentice quarters one evening to take Max down into the basement of the Circle Tower, past the intimidating locked gate that the apprentices had always been discouraged to even approach. Max was frightened out of her wits as she was being led along the twisting, cold and empty passageways, the girl shivering despite her favorite tutor's reassurances that she had nothing to fear. Eventually, Max was escorted into a simple room with barren walls where First Enchanter Irving himself awaited her, together with a couple of templars, standing silent at the far wall like a pair of gruesome, disapproving wraiths.

"Apprentice Caulfield," the First Enchanter welcomed Max, inviting her to sit at a table next to him, Enchanter Jefferson staying close to her the entire time, keeping a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Good evening, Maxine. Please, don't be afraid, I want you to know that you are not in any sort of trouble, alright?" the older mage asked in a kindly voice, Max managing a small nod, though she still felt uneasy. "You have been with us for some time now, child, long enough for us to see that you will one day make a fine addition to the ranks of full-fledged mages of the Circle. During your time here, you must have overheard your fellow apprentices mentioning something called a phylactery?"

"A few times," Max nodded. "They... didn't really want to talk about it, though. Katie... umm, Apprentice Marsh just said that you'll eventually want to make one for me... is that what we're here for?"

"That's right, Maxine," Irving replied. "It's about time that we fashion your phylactery," he added, presenting a small, odd looking crystal vial resting on his palm. "There's only one slight unpleasantness, child... the ritual will require a few drops of your blood."

"My blood?" Max jerked away from the First Enchanter, but Jefferson's strong hand kept her in place, the other mage whispering gently that she had nothing to fear, and trusting her favorite tutor Max immediately relaxed a little.

"Only a few drops," the First Enchanter nodded. "Please, child, trust me when I say that it will only hurt a tiny bit. And I'm afraid there really is no way around it, Maxine."

Max looked up at Enchanter Jefferson, the man smiling and nodding at her encouragingly. Bracing herself, Max allowed Irving to take her hand, wincing only briefly when the First Enchanter made a small incision in her finger, squeezing it as gently as possible until he had drawn out enough blood to fill the little crystal vial. Once it was done, Irving sealed the vial with a complex sounding incantation, while at the same time Jefferson used a healing spell to stop Max's finger from bleeding.

"What is the phylactery for?" Max dared to ask after she had watched Irving pass the crystal vial over to one of the templars, the man accepting it without showing any emotion and then together with his equally grim colleague carrying it away, leaving Max alone with the two enchanters.

"Well, Max... a phylactery is something like an essence of an individual, a mage," Irving began to explain. "If you happened to get lost-..."

"Please, First Enchanter," Jefferson scoffed, Max looking up at him in surprise that he had dared to interrupt Irving himself. "Lost, really? Max is fourteen, she's old enough to know the truth."

Irving sighed, shaking his head. "True enough, I suppose. As I grow older, it almost feels like all these children become younger and younger..." he chuckled, slightly bitterly. "Phylactery is like a yet another leash that the templars have to control us, mages. Should you ever think of escaping the Circle Tower, Maxine, the templars will track you down easily by using your phylactery. It is like a shining beacon that will guide them straight to you. And since your tutor believes that you deserve to be treated like an adult, let me give you a warning that I would give to any adult mage. If you have any thoughts of ever trying to escape... bury them. There hasn't been a successful escape attempt from Kinloch Hold in two decades, child. Of course, many have tried to flee over the past twenty years, but you should also know that not all of them are returned to the Circle alive once the templars inescapably catch up with them. Most fugitives are killed by the templars on the spot, deemed too dangerous and a poisonous influence on the other mages."

"I... I wouldn't try to run, Ser, not even without the phylactery," Max replied meekly, her spirit crushed even further. "I wouldn't know how to escape..."

"That is good. Don't waste your time on dreams of freedom, child," Irving smiled at her. "Instead, try to focus on finding what joy you can here in the Circle, together with your kin. You will forge new friendships, and discover that there is a measure of happiness to be found even in these circumstances."

"I'm... not unhappy here, Ser," Max managed, her voice becoming slightly hoarse with emotion. Her words would have been pure lies as little as a month ago, but now... now she was slowly starting to accept this new life of hers. Occasionally, tears still welled in her eyes when she remembered what it felt like to be hugged by her parents. She still kissed the locket that Chloe had made for her thirteenth birthday every evening before drifting off to sleep, but at least she no longer burst into tears of sadness while doing so.

"Max has been doing much better lately, First Enchanter," Jefferson agreed, once again supportively squeezing the young apprentice's shoulder. "She has made friends here in Apprentice Marsh and Apprentice Graham. I've seen her smiling a lot more, whether in the class or in the library. Trust me, she's coming out of her shell, and she'll become the top of her class yet!"

Max broke out in a content smile at hearing the words of Enchanter Jefferson, looking up at him gratefully. She was truly starting to feel much better about her place in the Circle and about her future here, now that she not only had her new friends, but also an adult that she could trust to always have her back.


	4. Chapter 4

_Year 9:24 of Dragon Age_

_Denerim, Capital of Ferelden_

Nothing could have prepared Chloe Price for the sights of Denerim when she lay her eyes upon the capital for the very first time. Even if she had known to expect a city much larger than Highever, she was still rather mortified when facing the swarming anthill of a city that was home to roughly seventy thousand people, more than ten times larger than the city of her birth. Still, even if the gates of the capital had loomed impressive in the distance, once the caravan made it into the city proper, she was confronted with less glorious sights, seemingly endless slums, muddy streets, people looking at her with dull, lifeless stares, and for the first time Chloe understood the basis for the Orlesian insult that Ferelden smelled like a wet dog.

At least the Denerim chantry and the templar barracks attached to it were located in one of the more prominent quarters of the city, near a busy marketplace where only the more respectable merchants were allowed to ply their trade, surrounded by estates of many influential nobles of Ferelden, such as Arl Eamon Guerrin of Redcliffe. The district featured plenty of different stores, and across the marketplace there was a rowdy tavern called The Gnawed Noble which apparently was quite popular amongst the off-duty templars.

Of course, during her first months in the capital, Chloe was so bogged down by her training that at the end of the day she simply lacked any energy to even think about sneaking out of the barracks and explore more of the city aside this one district in which they were stationed. Her training was proving to be everything that her father had warned her about, that she would struggle with the kind of discipline that was required from a templar. The Chant that she already knew from the top of her head was still getting repeatedly pounded into her brain until she almost wanted to retch, starting to believe that her instructors wanted to make her unable to think about anything else except for the sodding Chant.

Chloe much preferred the exhausting practice sessions in hand-to-hand combat, gradually mastering different kinds of weapons, even if she felt most comfortable with the good old longsword, also learning how to carry a shield and getting used to wearing heavier and heavier armor. Even if there were some female templars in the Order, Chloe was the only girl amongst the thirty to forty recruits currently at the barracks. She did not mind it much since it meant that she could enjoy her own room at the barracks without having to share. Making friends was a difficult proposition, however, since a lot of boys seemed to feel threatened by her, mostly because getting beaten by Chloe in a sparring match meant becoming a laughing stock amongst their peers. Still, Chloe clenched her teeth and stuck at it, even if at first she ended up on the losing side more often than not. As time passed and her skill grew, she scored more and more victories, earning grudging respect from her male peers, and eventually losing to templar recruit Price was no longer considered a stain of dishonor, but rather a normal occurrence.

Then there was the part of her training in which the prospective templar recruits were being taught special talents to apprehend apostate mages. This involved the one thing that Chloe had been most afraid of before joining the Order, the actual consumption of the liquid form of a mineral called lyrium. When Chloe had been given her first small dose of the bright blue liquid, she had been terrified to swallow it, coming close to refusing. Only recalling the reasons for which she was going through all of this and remembering the smiling face of her best friend had helped Chloe swallow the strangely sweet and thick bright blue liquid. The sensations at first had been... confusing, and not at all pleasant. Chloe had felt as if there was... as if something alien crawling within her veins, as if there suddenly was a second consciousness beside her own within her, but the sensation was faint and lacked clarity. A couple of days after taking her first dose of lyrium, Chloe was gripped with horrible shakes and chattering teeth, cold sweat pouring down her back. Her instructor merely gave her a knowing grin and passed out the next dose of lyrium, and after consuming it, the side effects disappeared almost immediately.

That was when Chloe understood the true power of lyrium addiction. Soon enough, she was given a small phial of the blue liquid every day, the instructors at first making sure that the recruits consumed it to the last drop, but once the addiction had kicked in, their instructors no longer paid as much attention, knowing that their recruits had been well and truly hooked on the drug. The whole deal made Chloe rather disgusted. She might have been more accepting of taking the lyrium if it made her feel good, but the only reason that she had to continue using it was basically so that she didn't feel like she was going to die. Of course, lyrium also enabled templars to use their unique magic suppressing abilities, perfected for the sole reason to apprehend apostate mages. Drawing upon the lyrium that was coursing through her veins was at first a very strange and frightening experience. Using lyrium to negate magic somehow made Chloe feel like a mage herself, though of course there was a notable difference as the templars did not tap directly into the Fade.

And even though Chloe kept using lyrium simply just not to feel horrible and to be able to exercise her newly trained abilities, it seemed as if quite a few recruits at the barracks had actually developed a taste for the stuff. Some of these lyrium junkies were always looking to trade in a drop of the blue liquid for various kinds of favors, and Chloe was often game to accommodate some of the older recruits. She kept taking enough lyrium to avoid getting the shakes and to make sure that she could power her abilities well enough to pass the training, but she set aside the rest and then traded it for various goods. The older lads who often sneaked out to the Gnawed Noble were only too happy to bring her back either a bottle of ale or some of the snacks served at the tavern in exchange for a few lyrium drops. At this point, Chloe wasn't even aware of just how much of a favor she was doing to herself by curtailing her addiction to lyrium, something that she would understand only much later.

A couple of months following her sixteenth birthday, Chloe discovered another use for lyrium, and it had come during one of her occasional moments of disobedience and rebelling. She had once again saved some extra lyrium to trade with the boys, but her male peers had been particularly frustrating on that particular day, mocking and making fun of her, setting off one of the famous angry Chloe rants. After storming back to her quarters, she had done something very much unwise, but it had worked out just fine in the end; Chloe had dunked her head into a bucket of lyrium solution with warm water, and it had tinted her short-cropped hair into a rather astonishing color of bright blue. Chloe was thrilled with the unexpected outcome, gazing into every mirror for the weeks to come. The boys also suddenly began to pay increased special attention to her, not that she particularly cared for it. Her instructors were less pleased, however, and Knight-Commander Tavish himself had sternly demanded an explanation from her, but Chloe had simply smiled demurely and maintained that it was merely a result of an accident.

Even though by the end of her first year in the Templar Order Chloe was starting to become more and more popular with the male recruits at the barracks, this wasn't the sort of popularity she was looking for, as it mostly amounted to attempts of inviting her to accompany the boys on their thrill-seeking adventures at the Gnawed Noble. Chloe steadfastly refused, always remembering why she was a part of the Order, never forgetting that she was doing this for Max, never failing to recall her friend's carefree and smiling freckled face, reminding her not to take any risks that could jeopardize her future with the templars. On the inside, Chloe already struggled desperately with the oppressive discipline of the Order, having to force herself to go through the rigorous, mind-numbing and tedious daily tasks and chores relentlessly heaped upon them by their emotionless instructors.

She did develop something akin to friendship with one of the older templar recruits at the barracks, a sandy-haired honest-faced lad named Cullen, three years her senior and close to completing his training. Chloe felt some measure of safety around Cullen because he was one of the few older boys who had not asked her out on a date, shown any sort of romantic interest in her, and had also never asked her to trade spare lyrium. Cullen was as straight-laced as they came, and as such he was something of a pariah amongst his peers. Seeing that Chloe also occasionally struggled with loneliness, the two had struck up a hesitant friendship, which mostly amounted to them sparring together in their free time, Chloe benefitting far more from these exercises than Cullen did, but it seemed as if he simply enjoyed spending time with her, and listening to her ramble on and on about things that annoyed her. At one point, Chloe had almost blurted out and told Cullen all about Max, only managing to stop herself at the last moment. Having to force herself to keep her secret for so long without telling anyone about Max was starting to seriously weigh down on the young girl, making her feel almost a physical need to share it with someone.

Still, before Chloe had managed to open up to Cullen and tell him her secret, one evening during another sparring session, it was the young man who sprang a surprise on her by suddenly announcing that his training was complete. "Tavish gave me the news earlier," he said as they circled each other in the familiar dance with practice swords in their hands. "I'm to travel to Kinloch Hold within a week."

"Oh," Chloe remarked simply, trying not to show her disappointment. After all, she had known that this day was approaching, and Cullen was undoubtedly grateful to escape the rigorous training... not that life at the Circle Tower would be all sunshine and roses, of course. "Well... you must be happy, right?"

"Sure am," Cullen smiled at her, easily blocking her swing with his shield. "Going to miss you, though. But maybe I'll see you in some three or four years, right? Well, unless they send you to Antiva or Nevarra."

"Antiva? Nevarra? What do you mean?" Chloe blinked, almost lowering her weapons, then having to hastily defend as Cullen tried to exploit the opening.

"Huh... no, what do you mean?" it appeared as if Cullen did not understand the source of her confusion.

"Why would they send me to Antiva or Nevarra?" Chloe asked again. "Surely Ferelden prepares templars for their own Circle, right?"

"Well... mostly, but that's not always the case," Cullen replied. "For example, I know that while most of my group are being sent to Kinloch Hold, two of the boys will be going to Markham and one will be traveling to Dairsmuid. Can you imagine that, all the way to Rivain? I don't envy that one."

_Fuck! So... after going through all this training, they might not even send me to the same Circle where Max is? Great Mabari in the Sky, this is so fucked up..._

"You alright, Chloe?" Cullen asked, having easily disarmed his stunned opponent. "Wait, you didn't know this? You thought you would end up in Kinloch Hold for sure? Uh... I'm sorry..."

"They... don't really tell us that upon joining, do they?" Chloe asked, having partly recovered from the unpleasant surprise. She picked up her sword and went over to sit down on a nearby bench, Cullen eventually coming over to take a seat next to her.

"They don't tell us a lot of things," Cullen sighed, shaking his head. "I imagine if they did, there wouldn't be such a competition to even be here."

"Yeah. Like they don't tell us about the lyrium and how you're going to feel like shit if you can't get it for a few days," Chloe grumbled.

"Oh... it's a lot worse, actually. Not sure if you even know the true extent of it, Chloe," Cullen said. "But... since I'm going to be leaving in a few days, I figure I might as well tell you everything I know, right?"

"I would seriously appreciate it, Cullen," Chloe smiled at the older boy.

"You went through the lessons where they taught you how to track mages with their phylacteries, yes?" Cullen asked, Chloe nodding quickly. "Well, this..." he continued, retrieving the blue phial of lyrium. "Is our phylactery. Just as we have leashed the mages, the Chantry has leashed us. We can't quit, and we can't retire. They'll hold that leash until we die."

"I guess that's why they try so hard to bore it into our skulls every day what honor it is to serve the Maker and the Chantry as templars, huh?" Chloe sighed. _Damn... I'm almost starting to feel as if I'm sacrificing too much... but then again... this is better than being dead, which is what I would be if not for Max. No... no, it is not right for me to doubt this. I must persevere. For Max._

"Well, it is an honor, but we are asked to sacrifice so much," Cullen said. "Just look at Samuel over there," he pointed at the old templar across the courtyard, his hair white and face covered with creases and scars, slowly shuffling about and stopping now and then to speak with squirrels, which Chloe suspected were some kind of imaginary creatures because she certainly hadn't seen anything like that. "How old do you think he is?"

"He must be ancient," Chloe replied. "Probably over seventy, right?"

"Wrong," Cullen shook his head sadly. "Samuel is forty-eight. That's what lyrium does to you over time. It's why you never see templars reaching old age, Chloe. The time we have is limited."

"...damn," Chloe cursed under her breath. _Great, that's even more fucked up! And some idiots at the barracks are actually trying to get their hands on an extra dose of this shit? I'll just keep using as little as I have to in order to get by... fuck!_

"Of course, Samuel was probably a serious lyrium junkie back in his day. Most look a little better in their fifties," Cullen chuckled. "But the end is always the same. And your mind tends to go much sooner before your body goes."

"It's so messed up that they don't tell us any of this stuff," Chloe growled angrily.

"Like I said, who'd want to join if they just told this to everyone," Cullen replied. "Maybe some desperate folks, but certainly not the best of the crop that the Chantry wants."

"Why did you join, Cullen?" Chloe asked.

"I simply grew up with a childish infatuation of the templars, and it has never left me, even now that I know more," Cullen shrugged. "I still don't regret having chosen this path. I always wanted to be in a position where I could help people, and I feel like this is where I want to be, and where I should be."

"Well, I don't have any regrets either," Chloe nodded with certainty.

"Good," Cullen smiled at her. "But this is where you tell me why you decided to join. Most girls find life in the Order too difficult to endure."

"I think you will find my reasons very similar to yours," Chloe lied easily.

"I thought so," Cullen nodded. "You don't seem like the type who wants to join because they have this deeply rooted hatred for mages."

"No, I don't hate the mages," Chloe shook her head. "But I've noticed that some of the instructors here at the Order seem to approve and encourage... I don't know, almost brutality when dealing with mages?"

"Have you had practice sessions with Knight-Captain Rylock?" Cullen asked, Chloe nodding swiftly, shuddering a little as she thought of the rather frightening female templar, her cold, zealous insistence that mages could not be trusted, that every one of them would be willing to try anything, even blood magic, just to escape the Circle and the grasp of the templars. "Yes, she's a little creepy, isn't she? I suspect she's lost someone close to her to magic. That's probably why she hates the mages so much. At least not everyone here shares her radical opinions."

"Yes, Knight-Lieutenant Irminric is almost the other way around," Chloe spoke thoughtfully. "He's teaching us to treat mages with kindness and sympathy, but a lot of people are whispering that he's just making excuses for them, calling him... I think they said mage apologist?"

"Perhaps Irminric is a little too soft on the mages, yes," Cullen replied. "Knight-Commander Tavish is somewhere in the middle... and I strive to emulate his approach. It seems well balanced. I would encourage you to model yourself after him as much as you can. I find him to be a real man of honor."

"I suppose you're right," Chloe nodded. She didn't know the Knight-Commander all that well, but she had overheard a nasty rumor circulating the barracks that Tavish was far more interested in frequenting the local whorehouses than actually managing the interests of the Templar Order. Obviously, Chloe chose not to mention this to Cullen.

"Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think that mages are just like any other people... I mean, you're going to meet mostly good and decent people in the Circle, but there will be the odd rotten apple here and there that can give them all a bad name," Cullen continued.

"Just like with the templars then?" Chloe winked at him.

"Huh... I guess," Cullen shrugged. "The difference is... the odd bad templar isn't as dangerous as an escaped apostate turning into an abomination. Sometimes these abominations might slaughter innocents in the hundreds before the templars manage to stop them. That's the very real danger we always have to consider when dealing with the mages. Locking them away in the Circle is as much for their own safety as it is for the safety of others."

"Mhm," Chloe nodded along, deciding not to argue, especially considering that Cullen would be departing from Denerim in just a few days. Instead, she smiled at the older lad and playfully punched him in the shoulder. "You know, I'm going to miss you and our little chats, Knight-Templar Cullen. It's going to feel a little lonely around the barracks after you leave."

"Not for long, Chloe," Cullen smiled at her.

"Uh... what do you mean?" she looked up at him curiously.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but... I figure what would be the harm," the freshly minted templar told her conspiringly. "We have another girl recruit on her way from Gwaren, so you're going to have a roommate."

"Oh..." Chloe managed, not sure what to say at the unexpected news.

"I'm sure you'll become the best of friends," Cullen grinned at her. "Let's see, what was her name... Rachel, I think... yes, Rachel Amber..."


	5. Chapter 5

_Year 9:24 of Dragon Age_

_Kinloch Hold, Ferelden_

"I think there's something wrong with Kate."

The simple words spoken by her friend Warren merely confirmed what Max herself had noticed over the past month, or perhaps it had all started much earlier and she simply hadn't picked up the signs. But it was definitely true that as of late the behavior of their close friend had changed, Kate often appearing very forgetful, mumbling incoherently to herself, a dull expression in her eyes when she looked at Max as if not truly seeing her, but staring right through her friend. At other times, however, Kate appeared her normal, cheerful self, strangely and abruptly fluctuating between the two moods, making her friends deeply worried, even if Kate herself denied that there was something wrong with her.

"I know, Warren, but I'm not sure what it could be," Max sighed, looking up from the ancient tome detailing the creepy and disturbing components necessary for the more complicated Entropy spells, the two of them sitting in their usual corner of the Circle library. "She keeps insisting that everything is alright..."

"I don't believe that," Warren shook his head in determination, echoing Max's feelings on the matter. "And why has she started to leave the library before us? We used to sit here for at least an hour more before departing together. I know for a fact that she didn't complete her homework before she walked off."

"She usually finishes her homework back in our room... and keeps me awake a little longer than I would like," Max replied. "For some reason she's started to spend a lot more time praying at the chapel... even though she says nothing bad has happened."

"Oh... Max, is that what you think is happening?" Warren sighed at her.

"What do you mean, Warren?" Max asked, holding her breath in anticipation.

"I checked the chapel a few times when she was supposed to be there," Warren replied. "Except that she wasn't. The chapel was empty."

"What?!" Max gasped aloud, then quickly silencing herself when she noticed that one of the gargoyle-like templars at the library doors had turned his head in their direction. "But... if she's not there... where could she be?"

"I don't know... maybe she's seeing someone?" Warren whispered. "You know... a boyfriend?"

"I, uh..." Max hesitated, blushing lightly. She hadn't even considered this possibility for a moment, now feeling a little silly for her mistake; after all, Kate was a comely young girl. "But I haven't seen any of the apprentice boys showing any interest in her..."

"Doesn't have to be a mage, Max," Warren winked at her. "Maybe she's seeing a templar. Maybe that's why she's acting like she's... I don't know, ashamed?"

"Oh... I hadn't considered that either," Max admitted, starting to feel rather dumb and clueless. "Well... if that's the case, then we should probably give her the privacy she craves. I'm sure she'll tell us the truth when she's ready to do so."

"I hope that's the explanation, Max," Warren said, keeping his voice lowered. "Because there's another rumor going around the tower." Max merely gave him an expectant stare, urging her friend to continue. "Brooke told me that she overheard First Enchanter Irving telling one of the enchanters that someone is being suspected of using blood magic... and there is a big investigation behind the scenes."

"Blood magic?" Max's eyes widened. The forbidden school of magic was a big taboo for the Circle mages, and the apprentices had all been strongly warned that the use of blood magic would result in immediate execution. Max had been sufficiently frightened by that threat to stop even looking into what blood magic was all about, but even she had overheard the basic details. In short, practitioners of blood magic didn't tap into the Fade, nor did they use lyrium to augment their spells, they instead used the power inherent in blood to fuel spellcasting. Blood magic also allowed its user to manipulate the blood of others, paralyzing them or even taking direct control of them, being able to exercise a form of mind-control.

"Yes... scary, isn't it?" Warren whispered. "I hope Kate isn't involved in that..."

"Warren..." Max frowned at her friend. "Kate is the most pious person I have ever come across in my life. She would be the last person to touch blood magic, surely you know that." Warren thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding in agreement.

"I guess you're right, Max," he finally admitted. "Still... I'd like to be sure that Kate hasn't gotten herself into any sort of trouble."

"Agreed," Max nodded. "Now that you've told me that she's not praying in the chapel... I think we need to tell someone that something might not be quite right with Katie. And there's only one person except for you that I feel like I can trust."

"Oh," Warren frowned, looking slightly jealous for a moment. "I guess you must mean Enchanter Jefferson."

"Yes, Warren... he's always very understanding," Max said, smiling fondly. "He can make some discreet inquiries if I ask him. He's very protective of Katie."

"And of you," Warren pointed out.

"Well, umm... he's just being nice," Max blushed, then rounding up her books and stuffing them into her bag. "Anyway, I think I'm done with studying for now... I guess it's a bit too late to speak with Enchanter Jefferson tonight, but I'll do that tomorrow after our Illusion classes."

"Alright," Warren nodded at her. "See you tomorrow, Max."

* * *

Just as Max had expected, Kate was not back in their shared room, which gave the young girl the time to simply lay back on her reasonably comfortable bed, stare at the murals on the ceiling and spend some time thinking, not only about the situation with Kate, but about her life in general.

A couple of days ago, Max had actually turned sixteen, not that birthdays were an occasion that was actively celebrated in the Circle, yet somehow Kate and Warren had still learned of the significance of that day and talked the kitchen staff into baking a small cake for Max, showing up at her room for spontaneous little celebration that Max had been intensely grateful for.

As for her studies, they seemed to be progressing well enough. Max had firmly entrenched herself as the third best mage of her year behind Warren and Brooke, and that was where she was certain to remain, more than happy to stay out of the limelight that being the top of her class would have attracted. Max had felt deeply flattered when Enchanter Jefferson told her privately that in any other year she probably would have come out on top, and it was simply for Warren and Brooke being extraordinarily talented that she was not the best student of her class.

By now, Max had complete mastery of not only the basic schools of magic, but of the Elemental school, as well as most of the Primal magic, having also advanced fairly deep into the Spirit school under the gentle and caring oversight of First Enchanter Irving. Max was currently struggling to perfect the very challenging telekinesis spells, particularly the devastating Crushing Prison, while Brooke and Warren had already mastered Spirit school and moved on to learn the difficult and dangerous Entropy spells such as Curse of Mortality and Waking Nightmare with Enchanter Uldred.

With her classes progressing well and bonds of friendship deepening, Max was starting to feel more and more home at the Circle Tower, and yet, the templar presence that was supposed to provide safety and comfort for all the mages more often than not made her feel completely the opposite. Warren's words that Kate might be romantically attracted to one of these walking, emotionless statues frightened Max to her very core, especially when her mind supplied her with the mental image of one of those metal cans approaching her with amorous intentions.

Romance was a difficult subject for Max on the whole. There were only a few boys of her age that she shared classes with, and none of them had showed any sort of romantic interest in her, which was just fine with Max. She was aware of being reasonably attractive in an awkward sort of way, but she also knew perfectly well that she wouldn't be the first, the second, nor the third girl to be noticed in a crowded room. A few months ago, she had been involved in a slightly embarrassing situation with Warren, when she had noticed that he was acting slightly flirtatiously around them, assuming that he was interested in Kate and then being utterly stunned when Warren confessed to fancying her. Somehow, she had been able to rebuke his clumsy advances in a way that had allowed them to maintain close friendship, and while there was still some lingering awkwardness between them now and then, it seemed to be fading swiftly. Max was very grateful for it because not only did she appreciate Warren as a good friend, his presence also seemed to discourage the other boys from approaching her, if there even was any interest at all. And still, somehow one of them had managed to capture Kate's attention... if her boyfriend truly was a templar, perhaps he had approached her in the chapel?

Over time, Max began to think less and less about her old life, though memories still had the tendency to sneak up on her when she least expected them to. Strangely, she found herself thinking about her parents less and less, while the memories of Chloe seemed to remain as powerful and pervasive as years ago, Max continuing to wear Chloe's locket around her neck and thinking of her every other day, wondering what her best friend forever was doing these days. _Is she still working at the forge? Or maybe she's met that dream suitor we used to joke about? Maybe one of the teyrn's sons did end up noticing her? Great Mabari in the Sky, I hope that you're happy wherever you are, my Chloe. If someone has captured your heart, they better treat it well, or else I might just have to break out of this dismal tower and set that bastard aflame with a well aimed fireball. Ah... who am I kidding... Chloe would never allow any man to walk over her like that, she'd put even the teyrn's son in his place._

Max's musings were interrupted when the doors to the room she shared with Kate opened, and her roommate entered, her gaze lowered, the other girl appearing utterly exhausted for some reason. Before Max could say anything, Kate disappeared into the small adjacent chamber with the washing basin and Max could hear her rinsing her face with cold water, Kate looking far more lively when she returned to their room.

"Tough evening prayer, Katie?" Max asked innocently. Kate merely nodded numbly, crawling into her bed and curling up into a ball, facing the wall. "Kate... is everything alright?" Max asked softly.

"Yes," came a dull sounding reply.

"Kate... I know you were not at the chapel," Max spoke gently.

"Are you... are you spying on me?" Kate's voice turned slightly angry.

"I'm concerned for you, Kate... and so is Warren," Max tried to ignore the outburst and continued to speak calmly. "I wish you would tell us what is going on. Katie, do you... do you have a boyfriend, is that it?" At that, Kate let out a sound that was almost like a strangled laugh. "Come on, Katie, you can tell me the truth. I won't tell anyone. Even Warren, if you don't want me to."

"Sure... fine Max, whatever... yes, I have a boyfriend," Kate eventually replied.

"But why does it have to be such a secret?" Max wondered. "Is it... is it because he's a templar?"

"What?" Kate snapped, sounding astonished, but then she seemed to calm down a little. "I mean... how did you know?"

"Oh, umm... that was actually Warren's guess," Max confessed. "You know how oblivious I am about anything romance-related, right?" she added with a slightly embarrassed chuckle. "But... for someone in love, you don't look all that happy, Katie?"

"It's... complicated," Kate whispered. "Please, Max... don't ask, I can't tell you or I might get you into trouble."

_Great Mabari, that doesn't reassure me at all!_ "Kate... are you being forced into this?" she dared to ask quietly. "Is that templar coercing you into a relationship?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Kate protested, though her words seemed to lack conviction.

"I've heard a lot of creepy things about the templars... I don't know, maybe it's just rumors, but... the older girls were whispering that they have peeping holes in the walls of the apprentice bathing chambers," Max spoke, shuddering a little at the thought. Ever since she had heard that rumor, she had been frightened of taking a bath, worried that some templar might be spying on her, violating her with their eyes. Even though mages were not forbidden from forming relationships with each other, in truth, Max could not understand how anyone actually dared to do so, considering that the templars could be watching them at any given time, possibly during even the most intimate moments. The very idea of such intrusiveness made her skin crawl.

"My... my boyfriend is not in any way creepy," Kate replied defensively. "Please, Max... leave me alone, alright? I... still need to study," the other girl said, even if she remained curled into a ball, making no move to reach for her books.

"Alright, Katie... just remember, if you're in any sort of trouble, your friends will always be there to help you," Max spoke, trying to sound encouraging, then sighing in resignation when Kate remained silent and didn't respond, finally forcing Max to give up and roll over on her side to face the wall in an attempt to drift off to sleep.

* * *

With heavy heart, Max walked down the hallway towards the lecture hall for her first class of the day, then letting out a brief yelp when someone suddenly pulled her aside into one of the many nooks and crannies throughout the ancient Circle Tower, Max letting out a sigh of relief when she looked up to see Warren's concerned face.

"Please, Warren, try not to scare me like that," Max grumbled, then smiling at her friend. "By the way, I have news for you."

"I have news of my own, that's why I intercepted you," Warren replied. "But you go first."

"You were right, Warren," Max whispered to the her friend. "Katie has a boyfriend and he's a templar. She told me herself."

"Did Kate tell you that she was with him last night?" Warren asked.

"Well... she implied that," Max shrugged. "I mean, I stated it as a fact and she didn't deny it. Anyway, what did you have for me?"

"I saw Kate last night. She was climbing up the stairs to the third floor," Warren replied, a frown on his lips.

"But... we're not allowed on the third floor!" Max gasped. Third floor was where the personal quarters of the fully-fledged mages of the Circle were located, and apprentices were not allowed there unless accompanied by an adult mage or carrying a written permission from one of the enchanters. Of course, it was possible that Kate had permission, but... why would she even have it?

"I know," Warren nodded. "It was really strange, Max. I followed her up the stairs to the third floor, but when I got there only moments after her, she had already disappeared. I've no idea where she went..."

"Damn... this is serious, Warren..." Max shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know what to think... maybe she and this templar have some secret hideout or something? They say this tower is full of secret passages that the templars use to spy on us, right?" Warren nodded reluctantly at that. "Anyway... we need to tell someone, Kate could be in serious danger!"

"You mean Jefferson," Warren stated impassively. "His class just ended. Maybe you can still catch him if you hurry up."

"Thanks, Warren," Max smiled at her friend. "I know you don't like him all that much, but trust me, he's going to help us," she added, patting Warren on the shoulder before turning to rush down the hallway to find the lecture hall where Jefferson's held his classes in Illusion magic. Once she got there, Max poked her head through the gap in the doors to see Enchanter Jefferson speaking with two of his students who had stayed a little behind, both of them attractive girls a year younger than Max. With the corner of his eye Jefferson eventually noticed Max trying to attract his attention, dismissing the two younger apprentices and nodding for Max to enter.

"Ah, one of my two favorite students... welcome, Max, what can I do for you?" Enchanter Jefferson gave her a warm smile.

"Umm... I have a... concern about your other favorite student, Enchanter," Max spoke up hesitantly.

"Oh? Is Katie in any sort of trouble?" Jefferson asked.

"I'm worried about her, and I was hoping that you could help," Max said nervously.

"Sit down and take a few deep breaths, Max," Jefferson spoke gently, placing his hand on her shoulder and guiding Max towards the empty chair by his desk. "Tell me what you know. I promise that I will do everything within my power to help you and Katie."

"Well... perhaps you have noticed that she often appears very sad and downcast in classes, Enchanter?" Max asked.

"I suppose I have, yes, but I assumed that it was probably boy trouble," Jefferson smiled. "These things happen, Max, especially when you're young."

"Of course, but... she told me that her boyfriend is a templar," Max said, lowering her eyes. "I'm just so worried that she might get into trouble!"

"A templar?" the enchanter appeared very surprised. "That is concerning, if true."

"Perhaps it's something else, though I still feel like she's in some sort of trouble," Max said with determination. "Last night she sneaked up to the third floor and then disappeared as if in thin air. We have no idea where she went."

Enchanter Jefferson appeared briefly alarmed at Max's words, but then recomposed himself quickly and smiled encouragingly at the young apprentice sitting by his desk. "You did well by bringing this to my attention, Max," he eventually said, taking her hand and patting it comfortingly. "I promise that I will do my best to get to the bottom of this and make sure that Katie doesn't get into some serious trouble. Now run along, dear girl, and try not to worry about this anymore. I am certain that I will have good news for you very soon."

"I... thank you, Enchanter," Max managed a timid, grateful smile, rising from the chair and turning around to head for the doors, already feeling better about her decision to disclose Kate's secret, despite her promise. It had clearly been the right decision, regardless of what Kate might think. Now that Enchanter Jefferson was on the case, Max didn't have the slightest doubt that Kate's troubles would soon be all over.


	6. Chapter 6

_Year 9:24 of Dragon Age_

_Kinloch Hold, Ferelden_

Following her conversation with Enchanter Jefferson, Max's spirits were soaring for the rest of that day, but her excitement began to slowly fade when Kate's behavior did not change one bit with time. In fact, only a couple of days later, the other girl appeared to have fallen into a completely apathetic state, Max having to drag her out of the bed and help her dress to make sure that they were both on time for their first shared class of the day. Somehow having made it through the lesson, Kate excused herself during the break, claiming that she was going to fetch herself a glass of water, but then Max became greatly concerned when the other girl failed to return for the next class.

Unable to focus on her tasks during the lesson in the Spirit school of magic, Max received a rare admonishment from First Enchanter Irving, but as soon as the elderly mage dismissed them at the end of the class, Max was the first one out in the hallway where she was nearly trampled by a group of agitated apprentices rushing past, one of them exclaiming words that would scar Max for the rest of her life.

"Someone's on the roof!" the young boy shouted. "We think they're going to jump!"

Max felt physically ill, rooted to the spot as the horrible suspicion of just who was on the roof washed over her, making her stomach flip and heart skip a few beats. Barely feeling her legs, Max began to chase after the shouting crowd of apprentices, in the heat of the moment everyone forgetting that it was not allowed for them to ascend past the third floor. Her worst fears were confirmed when she emerged on the rooftop, nimbly slipping through the crowd of onlookers to be confronted with the view of Kate standing on the very edge of the rooftop, that dull, emotionless look in her eyes as one of the templars, Knight-Commander Greagoir himself, tried to talk Kate into stepping away from the edge. From what Max had heard of the man, she had no reason to believe that he cared one way or another whether a mage apprentice jumped from the roof or not.

"Katie! Please, don't do it!" Max shouted, trying to raise her voice above the murmurs of the crowd and the Knight-Commander's less than sympathetically barked demands. "Step away from the edge! Whatever it is that's bothering you, we can fix it! Just... please, step away, and we'll deal with it together!" Greagoir turned to face her with a stern stare, at first appearing angry for Max's interference, but then motioning for her to continue when he and everyone else noticed Kate actually taking a step away from the edge of the rooftop.

"That's it, that's a good girl, Kate," Max spoke encouragingly, taking a cautious step towards the other girl. "Come towards me, Katie. I care about you and I want to help you. Please, let me," she added, smiling hopefully as she watched the dull expression in Kate's face starting to clear and a more genuine smile emerged in response to Max's plea, leading her to believe that she had managed to get through to Kate.

"Max, you don't under-..." Kate began to speak, but then she winced, as if struck by a sudden stab of pain out of nowhere and her eyes clouded again. "Max, beware!" she exclaimed, struggling with herself. Out of the corner of her eye, Max could have sworn that she had spotted someone in the crowd making what looked like a strange arcane gesture, but she could not tell who it was, nor did she have the time to turn around and check, trying to focus on Kate in front of her.

"Please, calm down, Katie," she pleaded, making another step towards the other girl, but the expression on Kate's face was one of dull resignation. Kate made a couple of steps back towards the edge, cries and murmurs seizing the crowd, many averting their eyes. "Don't!" Max shouted, but Kate ignored her and took the next step. Greagoir leapt at her, trying to catch the girl, but his arm found only thin air as Kate disappeared from view amongst the screams of horror and despair, Max sinking to her knees, hugging herself tightly and starting to rock back and forth as tears of shock and disbelief began to pour down her face. She was not aware of how long she had spent like that, but at some point, as if through fog, she heard the voices of the templars ordering all the mages to step back and clear the top of the tower. Max felt someone picking her up from the ground, strong arms holding her tight and carrying her down the stairs, Enchanter Jefferson bringing the distraught girl back to her room to let her grieve in silence.

* * *

For the following two weeks, Max struggled to cope with her experiences at the top of the tower, hardly the only witness to feel traumatized by the events, the memory of Kate suddenly disappearing from the edge of the roof before her very own eyes replaying in Max's mind over and over again. The funeral rites had been handled by the templars and mages had been barred from being involved in any way. The only thing they had been allowed to do was to hold a commemorative moment of silence in the dining hall before one of their evening meals, First Enchanter Irving holding a little speech in Kate's memory, simple but poignant words that for Max further emphasized the terrible sense of loss and made her burst into tears yet again, unable to even think of the food following Irving's speech.

Quite a few of the students required counseling following these terrible events, especially the younger apprentices that had been on the roof with everyone else, and the enchanters were busy at work trying to find time for everyone who needed a kind word of support in dealing with the aftermath. Senior Enchanter Wynne had tried to encourage Max into opening up to her, seeing that the girl was still suffering from her involvement in the tragedy, but Max stubbornly refused. It was only when her favorite teacher amongst the enchanters enquired about her well-being that she finally decided to accept the offer for help.

"Hey, Max!" she heard a very familiar voice calling out to her as she was walking down the corridor leading away from the apprentice quarters, turning her head to watch Warren catching up with her. "You're going to speak with Jefferson, huh?" he asked, sounding slightly breathless.

"Yep," Max replied curtly, holding a piece of parchment in her hand, written permission to proceed up to the third floor and the private quarters of the full-fledged mages. "He's been pestering me all week that I have to talk with someone about what happened with… well, about what happened, so…"

"We've talked about it, Max," Warren spoke quietly. "We can talk about it again, if you want to."

"Thanks, Warren… it did help, and we can talk about it again later, but you know how it is," Max offered him a small smile. "The adults won't leave us in peace until they feel satisfied that they've done all they can to help us. Besides… there's another reason why I want to talk with Enchanter Jefferson."

"Oh… that," Warren's face fell a little.

"What… no, nothing like that!" Max blushed, lightly punching Warren's shoulder in annoyance. "We still don't know why… why Katie jumped, so… I know Jefferson was looking into that, and I want to find out if he's discovered anything. Maybe I can get him to tell me what he knows."

"Okay, Max… just be careful," Warren added, looking slightly concerned.

"Careful?" Max frowned. "I'm just going to talk with Enchanter Jefferson, not with an army of templars or something… there's no reason to worry."

"All the same…" Warren scowled, remaining standing in the hallway and looking after her as Max shrugged and turned around to walk towards the stairs that eventually led her up to the third floor and the more luxurious, carpeted hallways of the quarters of full-fledged mages, Max wasting no time in locating Jefferson's private quarters, first to the left of the stairway, knocking hesitantly and waiting for the permission to enter.

"Ah, Max, about time!" Jefferson smiled down at her as he opened the doors and allowed her to walk inside. "I was about to go looking for you."

"Sorry, Enchanter," Max muttered timidly, taking the seat Jefferson offered to her, casting an exploratory glance around the room which seemed to be serving both as a modest living room as well as the enchanter's work office. There were two other doors that Max assumed led to the bathing facilities and a bedroom. The living room featured several bookcases crammed full with ancient tomes of wisdom, likely something that could not be allowed in the library near the apprentice quarters, where young and eager students could access more knowledge than they were ready for.

The enchanter's working desk held all the usual implements, quills, ink pots, paperweights, stacks of parchments, both scribbled and clean. Jefferson's mage staff stood propped up in the corner, barely visible under his spare Circle robes, hanging from a hook on the wall. There seemed to be a certain lack of… personality about the room that Max found a little odd, there was nothing in here that seemed to reflect the personality of her teacher… until she turned her head to look behind her, noticing a large painting of a beautiful young girl around her age, prominently displayed on the wall. _Great Mabari… I wonder who's she? Maybe his daughter? How very sad if she has been parted from him… he must be really missing her if she's propped up for worship almost like Andraste herself._

"So, Max," Jefferson began, sitting down on a chair opposite to her. "There must be a thousand of things on your mind following what happened with poor Kate. I can see how it is all weighing down on you. Why don't you share some of your thoughts, Max?"

"I… umm, don't even know where to start, Enchanter," Max coughed awkwardly. "I mean… that scene at the rooftop, it just keeps repeating before my eyes over and over again. And I keep asking myself… could I have done something to stop Katie from jumping? Could I have said something else? I should have done more before it even came this far… I feel like I've let her down. I let my friend down, and now… now she's dead…" she began to sob quietly, Jefferson patiently waiting for her to calm herself.

"I was there at the rooftop, Max, and I know that you did everything you could to stop Kate from jumping," he said in a kind, gentle voice. "You have nothing to blame yourself for, Max. I regret that I was not able to discover what weighed down so heavily on poor Kate, what forced her to take this horrible step."

Max looked up sharply at her teacher with an inquisitive stare. "I meant to ask about that… so you didn't find anything about Kate's templar boyfriend?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not, Max," Jefferson shook his head sadly. "I doubt we will ever find out the full truth. No doubt that they are feeling guilty and responsible for what happened, and they will do everything they can to hide their tracks."

"Well… I'm sorry, Enchanter, but I'm not sure I can just… give up like that," Max shook her head stubbornly. "We're going to find the one responsible because to stop searching for the truth would be… I don't know, but I just feel like Kate deserves more of an effort. And what if this templar tries the same with someone else?"

"You said that **_we_** are going to discover the truth," Jefferson remarked with some curiosity. "This is a dangerous path, Max… have you dragged someone else on it with you?"

"It's just me and… umm…" Max hesitated a little, then remembering Warren's jealousy towards Enchanter Jefferson. "A friend. I'd rather they remain unnamed. I wouldn't want them to think I got them into trouble or something."

"Understandable," her teacher smiled at her. "Are you sure that I won't be able to dissuade you from this dangerous investigation, Max? I would hate for something to happen to you. I hope you understand that I might not be able to protect you from the templars."

"I understand, Enchanter, but I am determined to continue," Max said resolutely.

"That is such a pity," Jefferson sighed, shaking his head as he rose and walked over to his working desk, picking up a thin, sealed vial that Max hadn't noticed before. "Please tell me the name of the friend who is helping you, Max. Is it Apprentice Graham?"

"I, umm… no, Enchanter, Warren is not involved in this at all!" Max lied, wondering about the shift in her teacher's voice, gentleness suddenly replaced by certain forcefulness.

"Think again, Max," Enchanter Jefferson repeated. He had opened the vial by now, pouring something from it, some kind of a thick, dark red liquid. "It would be best for everyone involved if you would tell me the name of your friend."

"Enchanter Jefferson, I… I can't… I…" Max began, suddenly feeling a strange, sickening feeling of vertigo seizing her, clouding her thoughts, making everything around her hazy and blurry. And for some reason, she felt this inescapable need to tell her teacher the truth and only the truth. "It's Warren… I mean, Apprentice Graham," she blurted out, wondering about this strange compulsion to obey anything that Jefferson would ask of her.

"There, Max, that wasn't so hard, was it?" her teacher turned around and smiled at her. There was something in his smile that… ought to have made her afraid, and yet it didn't? The contents of the vial had slightly stained his left hand, the liquid looking like… blood? "A loose end to take care of later, I think," Jefferson told himself, Max by now far too confused and incoherent to truly understand what was going on, utterly under the sway of the enchanter's blood magic spell.

"A pity about Katie, I agree," Jefferson chuckled, coming over to where Max had sunken into her chair, unable to move. "But I knew it could not continue forever. I had always planned to replace her with you, Max… and now your meddling has only hastened that," he added, leaning closer and cupping her cheek with his palm, Max wanting to whimper and withdraw, but finding herself utterly compelled to comply with everything that Jefferson did.

"Of course, I will have to take care of your equally meddling friend," the enchanter mused thoughtfully, gently pressing on Max's chin to force her stare upwards, the girl looking at her teacher with bleary, unfocused eyes. "But that's so easy to do, isn't it, Max? A forbidden tome on blood magic, casually left behind in the quarters of Apprentice Graham, and the templar execution will be swift with no questions asked. Yes… they really don't like blood magic… but I find it to be just the perfect tool to suit my needs," he said, his hand moving lower, gliding across Max's chest in the most inappropriate manner, the girl trying to scream for help, but the compulsion of the blood magic spell kept convincing her that this was what she wanted.

With only dim awareness of what was happening around her, Max felt Jefferson's strong arms lifting her out of the chair and carrying her into the other room where he eventually lowered her on the bed, staring down at her with admiration in his eyes. "So young… so innocent and beautiful," he spoke softly, sitting down next to her in the bed and lightly stroking her hair. "You truly are the perfect creature, Max," he said, leaning down and pressing his lips against her forehead.

Max's memory of the events that followed was particularly blurry, probably because Jefferson intensified the effects of his blood magic mind control spell, making sure that he had her complete cooperation. Max vaguely recalled the smooth fabric of her apprentice robe slipping from her shoulders, being pushed down to her midriff, intrusive hands pawing at her exposed skin… but fortunately not for too long. There was a pervasive memory of some kind of a loud crash, voices shouting, Jefferson cursing as he withdrew from her and ran back into the living room. Shortly after that, the blood magic spell controlling her was violently interrupted, sending Max tumbling into the blissful state of deep unconsciousness.

* * *

Max came back to her senses with a loud gasp, immediately following her first instinct to back away, still thinking herself in danger and relaxing only when she noticed the faces of the people gathered around her bed in the infirmary, First Enchanter Irving, Senior Enchanter Wynne and behind them, a very concerned looking Warren.

"There, there, child, you are no longer in any danger," Irving spoke up in his calm, slightly gruff, elderly voice. "I am sorry for what you had to endure, and I will never forgive myself for not discovering the source of the blood magic that had poisoned our Circle earlier, before innocent apprentices in my care had to suffer."

"Enchanter Jefferson…" Max managed in a hoarse voice, gratefully accepting the glass of water that Wynne held out for her.

"He will never bother you or anyone else ever again, young Max," Irving spoke solemnly. "The templars took him away and… well, let's just say that they are frightfully efficient when dealing with the maleficarum."

"How did you…" Max tried to ask in-between the eager sips of water.

"If it weren't for the insistence of your friend here," Irving pointed at a suddenly shy looking Warren. "We would have never arrived in time to save you, Max. I was… close to dismissing his accusations towards Jefferson, but I'm glad I listened after all."

"I know I wouldn't have listened…" Max admitted, giving Warren an apologetic smile. "I'm not going to make the same mistake again."

"Do you think you'll be alright now, young lady?" Irving looked at her with a sympathetic stare. "Greagoir is no doubt already waiting to lecture me about negligence in my duties and how I could allow a maleficar to rise so high in our ranks without noticing that something was amiss…" he added with a deep sigh. "What do you think, Wynne?" Irving turned towards the Senior Enchanter and the best mage healer in the Circle of Magi. "Young Max seems to be in good spirits, considering…"

"Considering that she came very close to suffering the most heinous crime that could be carried out against another person, yes," Wynne nodded, rare anger coursing through her elderly frame. "Physically she has been unharmed, thank the Maker, but emotionally… Max seems to be holding up bravely, but I would still like her to spend the next few nights here at the infirmary where the Chantry sisters are always nearby. Would that be acceptable, Max?"

"Y-yes, Senior Enchanter," Max nodded weakly. In truth, she was in no hurry to return to the quarters she had shared with Kate, having to stare at the empty bed on the opposite side of the room, constantly reminding her of what had happened to Katie and what had almost been done to her.

"Would you like us to leave you alone with your friend?" Wynne asked, giving Max an encouraging smile. "Perhaps chatting with someone your own age will cheer you up more than listening to curmudgeonly old enchanters…"

"I'd love that," Max spoke in a small voice, still not feeling entirely herself. "Thank you… for everything," she added quietly. "And you're… not that curmudgeonly…"

"But we're definitely old," Irving chuckled, together with Wynne departing from the room and leaving Max alone with Warren.

"Great Mabari…" Max breathed out as soon as the enchanters had left the room, covering her face with her palms. "Warren, that was…"

"I can only imagine... I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner," Warren replied quietly, stepping a little closer to her bed. "I mean... they didn't let me into his quarters, but I understand that he had almost..."

"But he didn't! And that's the only thing that matters," Max exclaimed, practically shaking with the conflicting emotions tearing at her, the revulsion over what had almost been done to her, the anger over someone she had thought so highly of having betrayed her trust, and the indescribable relief of feeling safe despite everything. "Warren... thanks so much for looking out for me. I will never be able to repay you for this. Seriously, this is 'friends-for-life' stuff, I think."

"Aw, shucks, Max, you'd have done the same for me, I know," Warren replied with an awkward grin.

"Considering what happened with Katie... maybe I shouldn't even try helping anyone..." Max mumbled, lowering her eyes to the hands folded in her lap.

"There's only one person to blame for what happened with Kate, and that's Jefferson," Warren said. "I mean, he had all the other enchanters fooled. How were we supposed to see through his deception? No, Max... you're not at fault here. You tried your best to help."

"Thanks, Warren," Max smiled at her friend. "You're awesome. Promise to never change, alright?" Warren's only response was a goofy smile that for a moment made Max feel like reaching out and giving the boy a grateful, friendly hug, but she decided against it, worrying a little that Warren might take it the wrong way. Also... she still remembered the touch of Jefferson's hands on her chest, feeling disgusted from the memory that made her leery of any physical contact, even if Warren had never acted improperly towards her.

"You can count on that, Max," Warren replied. "Say... since you're going to be staying here for a while, want me to bring something for you?"

"Oh... yes, some books would be really nice, Warren," Max nodded gratefully. "Something fluffy and lighthearted from the library. I'll trust your choice."

"Alright... be right back. Don't go anywhere, Max," Warren announced cheerfully, rushing out of the room, Max smiling and chuckling at herself as she stared after her friend, well aware of just how much gratitude she owed Warren for rescuing her from being subjected to whatever Jefferson intended to do with her... and Max was under no illusion just what his intentions were, starting to feel sick again from the thought that the wicked blood mage had despoiled Kate in such a horrible way.

_At least I have learned an important lesson and lived to tell the tale,_ Max thought to herself somberly. _Until now, I believed that in the Circle, mages only had to fear templars, and that mages themselves would always be united against our grim watchers. But no... it seems that other mages can be just as, if not even more dangerous. Circle of Magi... and they call it the safest place for any mage to be... what a preposterous joke..._


	7. Chapter 7

_Year 9:25 of Dragon Age_

_Denerim, Capital of Ferelden_

Rachel Amber.

The name belonged to a girl that in short time following her arrival in Denerim became a source of great inner turmoil in the life of Chloe Price.

At first, Chloe had been utterly captivated by the charming newcomer from faraway Gwaren, the new girl not only exceptionally attractive but also witty and highly perceptive. Within a day, Rachel was already acting as if she and Chloe had been best friends for their entire lives, and Chloe felt completely overwhelmed by it all, happily allowing herself to be swept up for the ride, relieved that her days of loneliness at the barracks appeared to have come to an end. And the way Rachel knew how to smile at her, an elusive, tempting smile often accompanied with twirling a lock of her beautiful chestnut brown hair. It didn't take long for Chloe to realize with some degree of shock that she was completely and utterly smitten by this new girl, and Rachel very much appeared aware of how Chloe felt, making no attempt to discourage her, even though Chloe had not found the courage to express her feelings yet.

Still, besotted with Rachel Amber as she was, Chloe soon began to notice things about the new girl that started to make her wary. Rachel seemed to be making friends everywhere she went, quickly becoming the most popular recruit not only in the barracks but also amongst their instructors, nobody seemingly immune to her charms. It wasn't that she was overly flirtatious with the male recruits or instructors, but there was… an air of mystique about her that others appeared to find irresistible, and as far as Chloe could see, Rachel only encouraged this perception of herself. It didn't take long for Rachel's behavior to become frustrating for Chloe, not because she had any aspirations of popularity herself, but… much as she was ashamed to admit it, she was simply jealous of all the suitors regularly trailing Rachel, Chloe previously having harbored her hopes of Rachel returning her affections, but now becoming more and more hesitant of opening up to Rachel about how she truly felt.

When Rachel first arrived in Denerim, Chloe had dreamed of being the one to show her new friend all the sights and introduce her to the city, and yet somehow, within a week, Rachel already seemed to know everything there was to know about Denerim, which was also much more than Chloe had learned during her three years with the Order. Rachel also appeared to know all the seedy places and all the right people to turn to in order to acquire goods more illicit, Chloe failing to understand where Rachel had acquired this information until she noticed that Rachel was spending a lot of time together with a particularly sleazy fellow templar recruit by the name of Frank Bowers. Frank was a local lad from Denerim, someone who was known in the barracks as the man with all the contacts, someone who could get his hands on almost everything, for the right price… which of course almost always ended up being lyrium. Chloe had no idea just how and why someone like Frank had ended up in the Templar Order, but obviously his family must have had some pull with the Chantry, or else she did not believe that the Order would accept a recruit with such dubious moral fiber.

Unfortunately for Chloe, she had learned about Rachel's connection with Frank only after she had already committed her greatest and most stupid mistake yet, something she had almost done with Cullen, but now followed through with Rachel. In her desperate need to share her secret with at least someone, Chloe had told Rachel about Max, as well as of her reasons for being here with the Templar Order.

From that very moment, Chloe's life at the barracks and her relationship with Rachel began to change with devastating swiftness. At first, Rachel had acted with compassionate understanding, hugging Chloe and promising to keep her secret safe, and for the few weeks that followed, Chloe felt as if this shared secret had brought them closer. By the Great Mabari, she had almost come so close to actually kissing Rachel, only chickening out at the last moment.

Then, a little later, the first few innocuous requests for small favors began to pour in. At first it was just about helping Rachel with their homework or sparring sessions, or spotting a few drops of lyrium from the excess that Chloe was saving up every week, 'helping' Rachel adjust to the addictive substance. Then came the requests to cover for her when Rachel sneaked out late at night to hang out with the boys at the Gnawed Noble. Eventually, Rachel needed more and more lyrium, and Chloe was forced to give her everything that she could save up, keeping only the bare minimum she needed to get through the week. By now, it was clear that Rachel was one of the lyrium junkies, but Chloe simply could not deny her requests. Even if Rachel had never made open threats to disclose Chloe's secret, there was something in her sugary sweet voice with which she made her requests, something that suggested to Chloe that it would be much better if she went along with all of Rachel's suggestions.

The next step on Chloe's downward spiral was when Rachel began to insist that Chloe accompanied her on their regular visits to the Gnawed Noble, insisting that she wanted to spend more time together hanging out with her _best friend_. If not for the fear of being caught and punished, Chloe would have rather enjoyed the occasional escape to the tavern, mostly because she enjoyed the rowdiness as well as the taste of the ale served there, but the company that Rachel tended to keep rather soured the experience. Frank was always hanging about, but it wasn't just him, there were other young men as well, not all of them templars, so Chloe didn't even know just how Rachel had made their acquaintance. Chloe felt mildly disgusted at how Rachel allowed these men to act around her, showering her with affections and often getting physical, Rachel giving Chloe playful winks and meaningful smiles as one of her friends pulled her into his lap and began to kiss the soft skin of her neck. What irritated Chloe the most was that Rachel actively encouraged her male friends to adopt the same approach with Chloe, even more so, Rachel clearly expected that she would go along with it. Chloe never stood for this nonsense, however, not letting her guard down even after consuming several mugs of ale, often having to punch some of the guys who were starting to get a little too bold, openly pawing at her with their hands or trying to pull her close for an unwanted kiss.

The worst part about the entire situation was that because the two girls shared a room at the barracks, there simply was no escape for Chloe. She had volunteered for some extra duties at the little smithy the templars kept close to the barracks, her previous experience a big reason for getting accepted by the templar blacksmith, grateful to have another pair of competent hands around the place. Chloe often worked at the forge until late in the evening when the master smith chased her away, the girl desperately hoping that Rachel would have already sneaked out by then without waiting for her, but this approach worked only now and then, not to mention that she could not physically endure spending so many hours at the forge every day.

It was when Rachel began to frequent places sleazier even than the Gnawed Noble, that Chloe understood that she had to do something to get herself out of this unbearable mess she had foolishly gotten herself entangled in. She had managed to avoid the first few occasions on which Rachel and Frank visited Denerim's most famous place of debauchery, brothel called the Pearl, but Rachel simply would not drop her attempts of persuading Chloe to accompany her, eventually giving Chloe an ultimatum which basically amounted to either visiting the Pearl or Knight-Commander Tavish would learn everything about her having a mage friend that she planned to rescue from the Circle of Magi.

Chloe took an immediate dislike for the Pearl, unlike her fondness for the Gnawed Noble despite having to endure company that she cared little for. But with the Pearl… the atmosphere was one that was supposed to encourage intimacy, but instead came off as cheap and sleazy. As together with Frank and Rachel they sat down in one of the private booths, Chloe was actually afraid to touch anything around her, fearing that it would feel sticky and disgusting, Frank slipping away at some point to fetch drinks for them, leaving Chloe and Rachel alone in the booth. The doors to the back rooms of the brothel kept opening and closing all the time, moans and cries of pleasure escaping, making Chloe blush and cringe inwardly, the girl struggling to believe that she found herself in an establishment such as this.

"You look way too stressed, girlfriend," Rachel purred, slipping into the seat next to her and brushing up against Chloe. Despite how poisonous she had discovered Rachel's personality to be, Chloe could not deny that her touch felt absolutely amazing, and she inwardly cursed herself for her weakness as all it took was one caress, one soft brush of the lips, and she felt like she could forgive Rachel anything… until Frank would return and Rachel would give him the same attention, the same fake looks of adoration, filling Chloe with murderous rage. "We're going to have an amazing evening of fun here, trust me. I'll take care of you… in more ways than one…" Rachel whispered to her promisingly.

"How can you stand this place, Rachel?" Chloe whispered back to her, casting a nervous glance around the main hall, fortunately not recognizing any of the other patrons, who truth be told did their best to remain unnoticed. This was one of the rare occasions where Chloe found that her lyrium-dyed hair could create problems for her since it was something very much unique and made her recognizable as a shining blue beacon of attraction. At least as a templar she always had her helmet on when leaving the barracks on official business, so none of the patrons would suspect that she was a recruit of the Order.

"Because here you can get your hands on stuff that you couldn't acquire anywhere else," Rachel winked at her. "Also, the backrooms are… a different kind of story than at the Gnawed Noble. We'll be sure to introduce you to the sort of fun you can have back there."

"I'm not sure I'm really interested in anything like that," Chloe frowned.

"Bah, I think I can manage to change your mind, girlfriend," Rachel purred again, her hand slipping lower to stroke above Chloe's knee. "Here comes Frank with the drinks… that will help you unwind, you'll see."

"Here ya go, ladies," Frank grinned at them as he entered the booth and held out their drinks, something that was supposed to be Antivan Red, but Chloe seriously doubted was the real deal. Instead of accepting the glass that Frank held out for her, Chloe took the one he was offering to Rachel. "You wound me, Chloe," the young man gave her a faked hurt stare.

"You should know by now that I wouldn't trust you as far as I can throw you, Frank," Chloe retorted, giving her drink a careful glance to examine it. Nothing seemed off, so she eventually relaxed and dared to take a sip of the frightfully potent sweet liquid. Chloe was not without her reasons to distrust Frank, either, having already caught him once in the Gnawed Noble, trying to sip something in her drink, and a few other times she had discovered some of Rachel's suspect acquaintances similarly trying to slip her a spiked drink, usually after she had shut down their initial amorous advances.

"That's no way to talk to a friend, is it?" Frank merely laughed in response, pulling something out of the back pocket of his leather pants and throwing it onto the table, a small sack containing finely ground gray brownish powder. "Rachel, I don't suppose your prudish friend is going to try the stuff, so I guess more for us, right?"

"That would probably be a bit too much for poor little Chloe," Rachel giggled, leaning in and giving Chloe a kiss on the cheek. "She's already shaking like a leaf, thinking about all the things people get up to in the back rooms. Best not to introduce her to everything at once."

"What is that stuff?" Chloe asked, pointing at the powder sack.

"One third dried deep mushroom, one third felandaris stalks, one third ground deathroot," Frank replied with a knowing grin, sitting down at the table. "Packs quite the punch, if you're willing to try."

"No, thanks," Chloe shook her head with determination. "What are you doing with it… inhaling, or…"

"Something much better," Rachel laughed, retrieving a vial of lyrium, probably given to her by one of her many marks that she was blackmailing just like Chloe. She took a pinch of the nondescript gray powder and mixed it in with the lyrium, the resulting mixture starting to bubble and fizz as Rachel brought the vial to her lips and downed its contents, letting out a shuddering moan as the spiked lyrium slid down the back of her throat. "Fuck, yeah… better than sex… oh, man, this has quite the kick," she grinned at Chloe with a slightly glazed look in her eyes.

"You're crazy, both of you," Chloe shook her head. "Pure lyrium messes you up pretty bad on its own. To add more shit to it is… just insane!"

"Ah, now you're just being a bore, Chloe… and I don't like it when people are boring me," Rachel said, pointing at her wineglass. "Drink up, sourpuss. It'll loosen that stick up your ass."

"'sides, not like templars have a shot at decent life past forty, anyway," Frank shrugged. "Might as well enjoy it to its fullest while you can, right?"

"Right on, Frankie," Rachel winked at her boyfriend, though Chloe tried to avoid thinking about their relationship as much as she could. Just imagining Rachel together with this square-jawed yokel, both naked and sweaty, grunting from their exertions in the back rooms of the Pearl… it drove her mad with anger, Chloe grabbing the wineglass and taking a large sip. "Whoa, that's the spirit, girlfriend!" Rachel gave her a big grin and thumbs up, her eyes appearing almost disturbingly wide, probably from the hallucinogenic effect of the deathroot.

"This stuff is… pretty strong," Chloe coughed, feeling strangely light-headed, far more so than from the drinks at the Gnawed Noble. "I usually don't get so drunk so quickly on wine…"

"So good, isn't it?" Rachel grinned at her. "Just drink it all up, sweetheart. There's more where this came from."

Even though Chloe knew that it was not a good idea, for some reason she found it impossible to resist Rachel's seductive, dulcet tones, obediently emptying her wineglass, overcome with a pleasantly warm, relaxing feeling of her inhibitions fading and dissipating altogether, leaving her with the sole desire to simply cuddle up and make out with the wonderful creature pressing ever so softly against her side. When Rachel moved to affectionately run her fingers through Chloe's beautiful blue hair, Chloe suddenly found the courage to boldly turn around and firmly press her lips against Rachel's in an open mouthed kiss.

"Whoa… I like it when you get like that, girlfriend," Rachel gasped as they parted.

"That was totally hot," Frank remarked from the other side of the booth, then downing his own vial of spiked lyrium that left him whooping and cheering like a total idiot.

"Yeah… for her inexperience, she's a bloody good kisser," Rachel chuckled, stealing another kiss from the lips of by now a very willing Chloe.

"But so predictable," Frank grinned. "You were right that she doesn't trust me and would try to grab your glass."

"Yes, sorry about that Chloe, but that wine was so good because of the little extra buzz that Frank added. It's only for your benefit, you know, so don't be mad," Rachel spoke, leaning in to nibble on Chloe's neck, making the other girl gasp. Chloe still had enough of a presence of mind to realize that she should be angry, furious, trying to rise and flee, but… she simply found herself unable to do so, too busy responding to Rachel's amorous attentions.

"She looks ready to be taken to the back rooms, Rachel," Frank said, looking at them with wide, glazed eyes as the deathroot effect took in.

"I'd say so, yes," Rachel nodded, for a moment abandoning Chloe's side, the other girl whimpering at the loss of body contact. "One more for the road, Frankie?" she chuckled, retrieving another lyrium vial and adding the powder for the extra kick, Frank doing the same.

"I can't wait… fuck, this is going to be awesome," Frank laughed. "I want you to tie her to the bedposts and eat her out while I'm watching. And later you can ride her face. Just look at her… she'll do anything you ask."

"People always end up doing what I want them to do…" Rachel giggled with supreme confidence as they both rose on unsteady feet and started to haul an even less coherent Chloe towards the back rooms.

* * *

When Chloe regained full consciousness some undetermined time later, the only thing she felt was the painful headache threatening to split her skull apart from the inside. Too afraid to open her eyes to see where she was and what had been done to her, Chloe instead tried to calm herself, ignore the pain and focus on sensing where she was without opening her eyes and revealing that she was awake. She could feel her hands tied above her head, probably to the bedposts like Frank had suggested. It felt like at least she was still clothed except for her boots having been removed, but save for her hands she wasn't otherwise restrained.

_Rachel drugged me... and tried to take advantage of me to put on some sick show for Frank? Great Mabari... this is insane!_ Chloe thought to herself frantically. _I... I need to stop her, I need to deal with this situation, somehow. This can't continue... one of us has to disappear from the Order, and I'm not ready to give up on my dream to rescue Max. Which means... I need to get rid of Rachel. But how to do that? Could I... kill her? Shit, this is so messed up... she's completely fucked up, but no... I don't think I could kill her, I am no murderer._

Eventually, when she could not sense any other movement in the room she was in, Chloe dared to open her eyes. She found herself lying on a bed in a posh and gaudy appearing backroom of the Pearl, displays of erotic art hanging at the walls with red tapestries, there supposedly to create the proper atmosphere, but to Chloe the carnal acts in the paintings simply appeared revolting and almost made her throw up. The foul smell that seemed to permeate the room did not help her stomach settle, it was as if the bedsheets hadn't been changed quite as often as they should be, or as if someone hadn't made it to the privy in time and had relieved themselves in the corner of the room.

Chloe finally dared to lower her eyes and examine the state she was in. Her shirt was parted half-way and pushed upwards to her small breasts, leaving her stomach exposed to the cool air of the room. Someone had also unbuttoned her pants, but hadn't managed to pull them down past her hips, and Chloe breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Rachel passed out on the other side of the bed, face firmly planted in the bedsheets as she lay in a somewhat awkward, hunched pose. Without wasting any more time, Chloe began to tug at her restraints and when they did not budge, she pulled herself further up the bed and then used her teeth to undo the knots on the rope holding her wrists.

She quickly rose to a sitting position and looked around the room, but Frank was nowhere to be seen, it was just her and Rachel. _And suddenly, it's her who's at my mercy,_ Chloe thought to herself as she smoothened out her shirt and buttoned up her pants, all the while keeping her eyes on the other girl. _It would be so easy to wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze down... and then all my troubles would be gone. Maybe... maybe I should do that... I mean, she's put me through so much, it would only be what she deserves, right?_ Chloe mused with growing determination, suddenly finding herself perched next to the other girl, her hands on Rachel's shoulders, moving ever closer to her throat...

_No... I can't. This is not me,_ she stopped herself suddenly, then frowning as she realized that something about the entire situation was very disturbingly wrong. For some reason, Rachel appeared... unnaturally limp, and it didn't seem as if she was even breathing. With trembling hands, Chloe turned Rachel around in the bed, gasping and recoiling in shock when she noticed that Rachel's face was smeared with blood and there was a large bloodstain in the bedsheets right underneath her head. "Shit!" Chloe exclaimed in panic. "Shit, shit, shit!"

"Ugh..." she almost yelped upon hearing someone else in the room clearing their throat groggily, Chloe looking on in disbelief as Frank's head suddenly popped up at the foot of the bed, the male recruit having passed out on the floor. "What the fuck... my head..." he groaned.

"Frank! You piece of shit!" Chloe shouted at him. "What the fuck did you give Rachel?"

"What do you mean, you crazy bitch..." Frank growled, struggling to get up to his feet, only then noticing Rachel's unmoving body on the bed and the coat of blood and saliva staining her once beautiful face. "Oh shit... I told her to slow down, but she just kept taking one shot after another..."

"She... overdosed?" Chloe blinked.

"Yeah, what else does it look like, idiot?" Frank snarled at her.

"You're going to be in so much trouble when the Order hears about this, Frank," Chloe snapped back. "You gave her the herbs. It's like... like you killed her. They'll do worse than just expel you!"

"Shut up!" Frank growled back at her, though he did look afraid, an emotion Chloe hadn't believed him capable of. "Shit... if they're bringing me in, I'm taking you down with me, bitch. You were here with us. Don't you think it'll be only too easy for me to spin some story to implicate you?"

"Okay, so... what do you propose?" Chloe asked. _Hmm, he didn't bring up what I told Rachel about Max, which means that Rachel hasn't shared it with him. That makes sense... she probably wanted to be the only one who could blackmail me with it. At least I should be safe from Frank picking up where Rachel left off..._

"Shit... I don't know... let me think," Frank rambled, running his hands through his shaggy hair. "I think... we need to make the body disappear. Sanga will help us. She will not want her fancy brothel raided by a templar investigation. She'll deny Rachel has ever been here. You any good at lying, Price?"

"I can be, I think," Chloe nodded.

"You'll have to, because your life will depend on it," Frank replied. "Tavish and his dogs will launch an investigation into her disappearance. You'll have to convince them that she was unhappy with the harsh training and had often talked about running away from the Order. Think you can do it?"

"I think so, yes," Chloe replied.

"Then get the fuck out of here, and let me handle the rest with Sanga," Frank barked at her. "I don't need you hanging around and getting in the way. Just run back to the barracks and for fuck's sake, make sure you're not seen."

"Will do," Chloe replied curtly, actually feeling a little grateful towards Frank about not having to spend more time near Rachel's limp, lifeless frame. "Where... where are you going to bury her?"

"What's it to you?" Frank snapped at her, but then his expression softened a little. "There's a... garbage dump nearby. She deserves better, but... nobody will think of looking for her there. And right now, we have to think for ourselves..."

Chloe nodded wordlessly and quietly left the room, trying her best to remain unnoticed as she exited the by now almost completely empty brothel, running all the way back to the barracks of the Order, making sure to give the gate guards a slip, breathing out a huge sigh of relief once she reached her room and all but dove under the covers of her bed, as if to hide in the only safe place she could think of. In the aftermath of everything that had occurred, Chloe was deeply conflicted with herself... even if she felt horrible about Rachel's death, she could not deny that she also felt certain liberation and freedom for having preserved her secret.


	8. Chapter 8

_Year 9:26 of Dragon Age_

_Kinloch Hold, Ferelden_

As Max's eighteenth birthday approached, rumors of her class soon starting to undergo their Harrowings began to pick up with each passing day. Not much was known about the Harrowing other than it being a test that all the mage apprentices were put through and if they were successful, they would become full-fledged members of the Circle of Magi and given their lyrium-infused silver rings as a mark of their achievement. If one failed at the Harrowing… well, there was no mage alive in the Circle Tower who had failed the test and lived to tell the tale, so the consequences appeared to be of the direst sort.

As for the nature of the test itself, many rumors were circulating regarding what was involved, but with the full-fledged mages forbidden to speak of it in detail, there was only hearsay to go on. Harrowing seemed to involve using lyrium to send a mage apprentice into the Fade, where they would face some sort of a test. Max was somewhat frightened of the prospect. Even if since the manifestation of her magic she often dreamed about the magical realm of Fade and its wondrous and dangerous inhabitants, both spirits and demons, she had experienced no actual interaction with these creatures, save for the occasional whisper at the back of her mind, tempting her to try one or another form of the forbidden magic that she knew better than to meddle with.

Some students tried to convince Max that Harrowing actually involved confronting a real demon of the Fade, a creature that had been summoned to face the unsuspecting apprentice. To Max, such a test sounded like something far too cruel and inhuman to inflict upon young mages who had not been prepared for this sort of confrontation. After all, a mage who could not resist the demon's influence in the Fade would become possessed in the real world, turning into a grotesque abomination as the demon took over the poor mage's mortal form, forcing the templars to slay them. Certainly, it would have explained why no apprentice had failed their Harrowing and lived to tell the tale, but when the same fellow students tried to convince Max that templars sometimes killed apprentices ever for taking too long with their task of Harrowing, she became a little skeptical of this entire story, refusing to believe that even templars could be this cruel.

However, she was forced to revise her opinion one day when after their classes, Warren arrived to sit down at their usual spot in the library, looking absolutely devastated, Max immediately realizing that something horrible had taken place. "Warren… I'm sorry to say, but you look awful," Max spoke softly to her friend. "What happened?"

"It's… Stella," Warren replied, sounding mortified. "She didn't miss the class because she was ill. Couple of days ago, they grabbed her in the middle of the night and took her to the Harrowing Chamber. She… she failed."

"How do you know? And what happened to her afterwards?" Max demanded. She and Stella were not particularly close friends, but she was a quiet and pleasant girl, and Max rather liked her.

"She's… dead, Max," Warren choked out the words. "I heard the templars talking about it. The one who did it… Knight-Templar Carroll… he was boasting about it. Calling Stella names… I was about to unleash a fireball up his ass, but…"

"Don't do that, Warren, the only thing that will achieve is that you will get yourself killed," Max gasped. "But… damn, I can't believe they would do this! Is the Harrowing like some kind of a sick and twisted game to them?"

"I don't know, Max… but Stella's death isn't the end of the story. There's something I've got to show you. Come with me," he insisted, taking Max's hand and she allowed herself to be led out of the library and down the hallway to the workshops of the Formari craftsmen, responsible for the enchantment of magical items.

"Why are you taking me to the Tranquil, Warren? They seriously creep me out," Max wondered as her friend kept insistently tugging on her arm as he led her down the corridor. The Tranquil were former mages who had been subjected to a mysterious ritual performed by the templars, called the Rite of Tranquility. As a result of this ritual, the mage it was performed upon was permanently severed from the Fade and lost their magical abilities, thus becoming a completely unattractive target for demonic possession. Unfortunately, it also had the side effect of completely destroying the victim's capacity for all emotion, leaving them in a state that Max had once described as a 'lyrium zombie', and to her it still felt like an apt description.

"You'll see," Warren replied curtly. "There's a reason for it…" he added as they entered the quarters of the Tranquil together.

"Right… oh, Alyssa is here too," Max smiled, noticing the slightly corpulent girl from her classes, standing nearby and observing one of the elderly Tranquil performing runecrafting. "Hey, Alyssa!" Max exclaimed to attract the other girl's attention. "What are you doing here?"

As Alyssa slowly turned around to reply, Max let out a shrill scream of horror as she took in the dead, emotionless stare in Alyssa's once lively eyes, the seal of the Chantry's sunburst embossed on her forehead to identify her as one of the Tranquil. "Hello, Apprentice Caulfield," Alyssa greeted her in a slow, monotonous tone. "I am…" she began to speak, then pausing as if having to search for words. "…pleased to see you. Can I assist you? Do you need to borrow a magical item from our stores?"

"Great Mabari… this is horrible!" Max exclaimed, unable to hold back the tears streaming down her face. "Why… why did they have to do this to you, Alyssa? You posed no threat to anyone! Those templars… I… I don't know what I would do to them…"

"It was my request to be put through the Rite of Tranquility, Apprentice Caulfield," Alyssa explained slowly, Max's eyes widening with shock.

"But… why would you do that? Why would anyone ask for this sort of horrible existence?" Max asked in incomprehension. She had heard that the Rite of Tranquility was meant for unruly, out of control mages who refused to even try and contain their destructive magic. Of course, there were also rumors of the templars using it to silence mages who were too outspoken in their criticism of the Chantry, but Max wasn't sure whether she believed such a sinister conspiracy theory.

"You are mistaken, Apprentice Caulfield, though I am sure you mean well," the Tranquil-Alyssa explained. "The fear is gone. I feel most…" she struggled for words again. "Content. Yes… most content."

Max gave Warren a horrified stare, her friend sighing and shaking his head. "When Alyssa found out about what happened to Stella, she panicked," he explained. "She thought that since she was behind Stella and everyone else in the classes, she stood no chance of surviving the Harrowing, something that Stella had failed with. When the templars came for her, Alyssa begged to be put through the Rite of Tranquility, preferring this to dying in the Harrowing."

"That… is so messed up, Warren!" Max gasped. "I don't think I would choose Tranquility even in the face of death. This… this seems worse than death. She's… she's just a shell of what she was!"

"I cannot take offense at your words, Apprentice Caulfield. Please do not be upset," Alyssa droned on unhelpfully. "Like I said… I am most content."

"At the cost of everything that made you human," Max sighed, shaking her head, then looking at Warren again. "Let's… let's just go… to look at her like this is too much… I can't do it." At least Alyssa had the good sense not to speak up again unhelpfully, the Tranquil remaining silent as Warren and Max slowly retreated from the Formari workshop, both of them looking dejected.

"This is going to make waiting for our Harrowings an utter and complete torture, won't it?" Warren groaned.

"Yeah, no kidding," Max nodded, instinctively hugging herself as she felt shivers coursing through her. "Must admit, I'm… kinda frightened."

"So am I," Warren agreed with an uneasy smile. "But I believe you can do it, Max. You're one of the brightest mages in our year. You should be able to pass the challenges of the Harrowing easily."

"Well, then you and Brooke should have nothing to worry about, you're both better than I am," Max replied, mustering a shadow of a grin. "Besides, I'm not sure if this is going to depend on just who's the better mage. I mean, we're supposed to confront a demon, right? That's not necessarily done by flinging spells at it. Maybe it'll be more like a battle of wits and will, huh? Damn… it's just so unfair that they don't even prepare us for it at all!"

"Tell me about it…" Warren sighed as they both slowly walked back to the library. "But I know that we both can and will make through it, Max. You must. Life in the Circle would be… kinda lame without you here. Just saying."

"Back at you, Warren," Max smiled at her friend. "Right back at you."

* * *

The next one to be taken for their Harrowing was Brooke. The templars came to snatch her during one of their lectures, and even though Brooke appeared a little startled at first, she recovered quickly enough to carry herself with pride and dignity. It was only at the end of the day that the news broke that Brooke had passed her test and emerged as a fully-fledged mage of the Circle. She never returned to the apprentice quarters, instead templars were sent to collect her belongings and bring them to her new quarters on the upper floors. The next time her friends saw Brooke again, she was wearing new, much more fancy purple robes with a golden trim, acting a little as if she was above them all, and denied all requests to share her experiences of the Harrowing, claiming that she had been made to swear an oath not to disclose any details.

They came for Max next, and it happened during lunch in the common hall. As soon as Max saw Knight-Commander Greagoir and a group of templars entering the hall, her hands began to shake so badly that she spilled some of the delicious carrot and turnip soup on her robe. Part of her hoped that the templars were coming for Warren or someone else from their class, but another part of her just wanted for it to be all over and done with, one way or another. Still, when Greagoir came to stand at her table and ordered her to get up and follow the templars, not even giving her the opportunity to clean her stained robe, Max had no options but to follow, the procession climbing to the upper floor of the Circle Tower, the templars having to nudge their frightened prey along as they entered the so called Harrowing Chamber, where First Enchanter Irving together with senior enchanters Leorah and Torrin already awaited them.

"Take a seat, child," Irving welcomed her to approach the middle of the chamber where two templars stood behind a large chair that almost looked like some kind of a decorative throne. The First Enchanter was trying to act encouraging with a gentle smile, but Max did not return it, feeling too nervous, but also angry and defiant about the way the whole unfair test was being conducted.

"Let me guess... no last minute instructions on what to expect?" Max looked up to the First Enchanter.

"I'm afraid not, young Max," Irving shook his head sadly, then taking a large golden goblet from Leorah and passed it over to Max, the girl looking down into the swirling liquid form of lyrium, likely diluted with something else. "Drink up, child. You will fall into deep slumber... but I have great faith that you will emerge victorious."

"But if not..." one of the templars in the chamber stated, coming to stand before her with his sword already unsheathed. "I promise to make it quick," he added.

"What were you hoping to achieve with that statement?" Max frowned at her possible eventual murderer, glaring at the man as she began to take small sips of the lyrium mixture in the goblet.

"Your apprentice talks too much, Irving," Knight-Commander Greagoir stated, appearing a little annoyed.

"Perhaps your men should stop threatening and trying to unsettle her," Irving boldly snapped back at the Knight-Commander. "Don't worry, Max... just relax your mind and trust your senses..."

"Don't worry, First Enchanter... I won't let you down," Max replied with confidence that surprised even herself. These templars expected, almost hoped for her to fail, and all it did was to give her an extra motivation to persevere, to show these Chantry bullies that she was more than yet another weak mage who could not control her own destructive powers.

Eventually, Max's head began to loll forward, her eyes starting to close as the magical sleep drew inescapably closer, and in a matter of few minutes she was fast asleep, curled up in the soft velvet padded seat. She was awoken by strange, loud sounds, that Max soon recognized as the ringing of bells, looking up to see that she was standing in front of a very familiar building, the chantry of Highever, a crowd of people emerging from it, having attended the morning sermon by Mother Mallol.

"Max! Sweetie! There you are!" the girl blinked in surprise as she turned around to find her mother rushing towards her with arms open wide, Vanessa embracing her firmly in a tight hug. "My sweetest daughter, finally you are back with us, with your family..."

"Mom?" Max croaked, struggling to believe her eyes. It was more than four years since she had been taken from her home, but her mother did not seem to have aged much, nor had her father Ryan, appearing just behind his wife and taking them all into a comfortable group hug that Max had so deeply longed for. "How... how is this possible?" she asked, still wondering just how and why she was suddenly back in Highever.

"Oh, don't you remember, Max?" her father asked her. "Yes, First Enchanter Irving told us that there might be some unintended side effects. Maxine, something happened during that ritual they were putting you through... Harrowing, was it? The potion they gave you, well... it caused some previously undocumented changes. It took your magic away, Max, and there was no longer any reason to keep you in the Circle. They sent you back to us, to your family."

"Uh... what?" Max blinked. "That's... very bizarre. Of course, I'm really happy to see you guys, so I'm not complaining, but it's just... I've never heard of anything like that happening..."

"Yes, the First Enchanter was very surprised as well. They are still trying to understand what exactly happened," her mother nodded, then embracing her again. "But why don't we stop thinking about all of that? Let's just enjoy the fact that the family is back together, shall we?"

"Chloe will be delighted to see you as well, Max," Ryan said, Max's heart starting to beat rapidly at the mention of her best friend. "She has never stopped thinking about you, Max. She's working at the forge... perhaps you would like to go and meet her, and invite her over for dinner? Then we could all catch up on everything that has happened during your absence."

"Whoa... thanks guys, you really know me well, don't you?" Max grinned happily at her parents. "How... how has Chloe been? I mean... over the years?" she asked tentatively, even if she was eager to simply dash off and run straight for the blacksmith's shop.

"As good as could be expected, while missing you terribly," her mother smiled serenely. "But everything will be fine now that you are back in our lives again. Go, run now, daughter... make your best friend smile again."

Max did as she was told, running down the hill from the chantry and quickly reaching William's little blacksmith shop in the trade quarter of the city, the place looking just as she remembered it. Hoping, praying that she would catch Chloe in a convenient moment, Max straightened out her robe, smoothened her hair and then opened the doors leading into the forge and stepped in. The sight that opened before her eyes was... both impressive and breathtaking. Chloe was alone in the forge, busy working on a finely crafted silverite blade. She looked just as Max remembered her, only at least half a foot taller, more broad shouldered, though without particularly pronounced muscles. Her long strawberry blonde hair had been tied up in a bun to avoid any accidents while working, and she was wearing a long, sleeveless leather apron, her face flushed with heat and drops of perspiration running down her brow as she worked the hammer with short and powerful strikes.

For a moment, Max found herself unable to do anything else than just to stare at Chloe, taken aback by the breathtaking sight of her best friend. She had always expected that Chloe would grow up an exceptionally beautiful young woman, but even so the sight before her left Max reeling with emotions she had never experienced before, leaving her legs weak and stomach tingling.

"What the… Max?" Chloe suddenly looked up at her, dropping the smith's hammer from surprise, her eyes lighting up, shining in realization. "Max Caulfield? Am I seeing things… or are you real?" she all but ran up to Max, the two friends standing face to face, Chloe reaching out to touch her arm and then immediately burying Max in the tightest of embraces, Max happily nuzzling against Chloe's shoulder, feeling a little dizzy from the contact as well as from the near intoxicating scent of heated metal and lightly scorched leather.

"Of course I'm real, Chloe," Max mumbled happily, wanting for the moment to never end. "I don't know how, but they say I somehow lost all my magic in some freak accident or something. So they let me out… and here I am. Back in Highever."

"Awesome!" Chloe exclaimed, squeezing Max particularly tightly before releasing her again. "Damn… I have to tell you, Highever was pretty damn lame without you, Max. I can't tell you how glad I am to have you back."

"I'm just… flattered you even remember me, Chloe," Max smiled shyly, giggling when Chloe elbowed her with an annoyed look on her face. "Seriously… and where's William, he's always around the forge at this time?"

"Dad's been taking it easier as of late, letting me handle more and more around here," Chloe replied. "Without you around to get me in all sorts of trouble, I needed a distraction… and well, this helps."

" ** _Me_** , getting **_you_** in trouble? Somehow I remember it being the other way around," Max stuck out her tongue at her best friend.

"Nuh-uh," Chloe shook her head defiantly.

"Anyway… how have you been, Chloe?" Max beamed at the other girl. "I half expected to find you as the new Lady Cousland, married off to Fergus! The boys of Highever must be swarming all over you…"

"Pfft... who cares about them," Chloe scoffed. "Remember what I told you all those years ago? No boy is going to be good enough for you, when you already have me. Well, you see... that goes both ways."

"Oh… aww, you're like the sweetest dork ever," Max giggled, playfully punching Chloe's shoulder, even as she felt a sudden surge of heat spreading through her, filling her with an unexpected hope that perhaps Chloe's words had been more than just a joke. "But you couldn't have known that I would be ever coming back."

"I guess I just hadn't stopped hoping," Chloe beamed at her. She unhooked the clasps of her leather apron and removed it, remaining in a tiny undershirt that left very little to imagination, clinging to her skin tightly and transparent in places from the perspiration. Chloe then untied her hair and allowed the golden strawberry locks to cascade down her shoulders in a display of absolute magnificence. "So," she stated as Max stood like transfixed, unable to stop staring. "I think that's about enough time spent at the forge. Now I want to spend time with you, Max. Why don't we go down to the beach, walk our old paths again while we talk? And later, we can head over to your place… you probably want to hang out with your folks as well."

"Yes, that sounds lovely," Max finally managed. "No, actually… that sounds perfect," she corrected herself, then freezing in sudden realization.

_Perfect. Yes… this really is perfect. Perhaps… too perfect?_ Max thought to herself frantically, wishing that her gut feeling was wrong. _I know that real life is not perfect, it has never been nor will be, so… the logical conclusion would be that this is not real. I am still in the Fade… and this is all a test._

"No, wait…" she spoke up quietly, staring straight at Chloe. "This is not real, is it? This is just a dream conjured up by some demon. Show yourself, puppet master!"

"What are you talking about, Max?" Chloe looked at her as if she had lost her mind, briefly managing to convince Max that she was mistaken. "There are no demons here, just the two of us," she spoke with an inviting smile, walking up to Max with a teasing sway in her hips. "And like I said… I'm very, very happy to see you, Max…"

_Oh, by the Great Mabari… she's going to kill me acting like that,_ Max groaned inwardly, feeling perspiration running down her back as heat surged through her again. _But… wait. She's acting... almost as if she's trying to seduce me. Would the real Chloe act like that, especially right upon meeting me again? I… I don't think so. She'd just be relieved to have her friend back… I think._

"I'm sorry, Chloe, but… I don't think so. I don't think any of this is real," Max sobbed out, desperately wanting herself to be wrong, but knowing deep inside that it wasn't so.

"Let me show you just how real this is, Max," Chloe whispered in a sultry voice, placing her hands on the other girl's hips and then pressing her against the wall. Before Max could utter a word, Chloe darted forward and caught her in an open mouthed kiss that left Max breathless, losing herself in the kind of pleasure she had never experienced before, deeply burning desire echoing to her very core. As Chloe drew her tongue into her mouth and began to softly suckle on it, her arms seemed to be everywhere at once, caressing Max's willing, girlish body through her Circle robes, Max unable to stop herself from giving into her desires and starting to kiss Chloe back with increased urgency, her hands slipping under Chloe's shirt and starting to slide across her smooth, damp back.

"No… n-no…" Max moaned in Chloe's mouth, somehow managing to call upon her reserves of inner strength to resist despite desperately needing to go through with this deception, to be loved by this beautiful creature that was amazing in every possible way. "This isn't real… I'm not being kissed by the real Chloe Price…"

"Even if that were true, Max…" Chloe purred at her, continuing to shower her with caresses. "Why not go along with this? Is there anything in your so called real life that is not bitter and depressing? Stay here in this fantasy with me, and we can forever be happy together… you know you want to, Max…" she whispered, leaning in to kiss Max again, but the other girl suddenly pushed her away, Chloe falling backwards and landing on the floor with a soft thud. As she sat on the floor, her shape began to shift and change, and the creature that rose no longer resembled Chloe Price in the slightest. Instead, Max's best friend was replaced by a pale-skinned, scantily clad, horned creature of feminine shape, the form of a deceptive and deadly desire demon.

"Now you're just being no fun at all, Max," the seductress spoke, still daring to use Chloe's voice even in her true form, deception that filled Max's entire being with white hot rage. "Won't you reconsider, my dear? I would prefer if you stayed here on your own will… I do detest violence, and I would hate having to kill you in order to crawl into the mortal realm…"

"That's not going to happen, bitch," Max snarled at the mistress of temptation, channeling all her rage into a powerful blast of magic, slamming it into the desire demon and watching in satisfaction as the creature crumpled to the ground, letting out a shriek of pain. As Max continued to bombard her foe with one spell after another, she barely noticed how the landscape around her began to blur and shift, starting to swirl all around her like a tornado that eventually swept her up and launched her into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

Max awoke in a more luxurious and larger room than her apprentice quarters, lying in a comfortable and wide bed. She immediately noticed some of her belongings stored in crates lying in a corner of the room, the templars having brought them up after she had passed the Harrowing. Further proof of her success lay in the beautifully crafted purple and gold trimmed robe placed across the backrest of the chair by her bed.

"Ah, I see you have awoken, Maxine," she heard the voice of First Enchanter Irving, rearing her head to see him standing on the doorstep and smiling at her, looking relieved. "Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on passing your test and becoming a fully-fledged mage of the Circle. I am deeply relieved to have been spared the tragedy of losing someone as young and promising as you."

"Thank you," Max replied in a hoarse voice, turning around in the bed to face the wall. "Excuse me, First Enchanter, but… could I please be left alone."

"I… yes, of course, Maxine," Irving spoke apologetically. "All of us senior enchanters will be there for you, should you wish to talk later," he added before closing the doors.

As soon as Irving had left, Max pulled her knees up to her chest and curled up into a tight little ball, hugging herself as the memories of her cruel test came flooding back. Because the loathsome templars had decided to put her through this despicable trial, all her memories of Chloe now came bursting back like spring floods, threatening to overwhelm her. Even worse, the desire demon's deception was driving her mad as she could not stop thinking about the young woman Chloe had grown up to become, wondering whether she was anything like the irresistibly beautiful creature the demoness had posed as. Max had felt so utterly captivated by this fake Chloe, her heart breaking from the thought that the desire demon had tricked her into falling in love with a Chloe that may or may not even be real… and was one that she was doomed to never see again.


	9. Chapter 9

_Year 9:26 of Dragon Age_

_Denerim, Capital of Ferelden_

Next several months following the death of Rachel Amber were torrid times for Chloe Price. A couple of days after Rachel's disappearance, Knight-Commander Tavish had interrogated her, trying to find leads, but Chloe had somehow managed to construct a passable lie and dig herself out of the hole she felt she had fallen into. Two weeks later, Tavish had called her in again, and Chloe had nearly fainted from anxiety, fearing that the jig was finally up, but the Knight-Commander had simply asked her some additional questions to aid the investigation, and Chloe had somehow squeezed by again. It seemed as if Frank had also managed to lie convincingly without raising any suspicions, not that this surprised Chloe, and thus some time later, the investigation into Rachel's disappearance lost all the drive and slowly petered out. Still, Chloe remained fearful for several more months following that, only lately starting to relax, also no longer suffering the horrible nightmares involving images of Rachel's skeleton rising from its grave to take revenge on her and Frank.

Her training was progressing quite well in the final year for her class, and the ceremony in which they would all be officially accepted as Knight-Templars of the Order was fast approaching. Chloe was becoming increasingly nervous about it, because as Cullen had told her some time ago, it was also where they would learn their assignments, and for Chloe, only Kinloch Hold would do, and she didn't even have a plan of what to do in case she would happen to receive an assignment elsewhere.

Aside from more and more training, Chloe and the other recruits of her class often accompanied the senior templars on their missions to secure mages who had only just discovered their gift, just like Max when she had saved Chloe's life. Every month there seemed to be two or three cases in Denerim or its neighboring villages, so Chloe received some practical experience in how to use her templar talents. At first, she and her fellow recruits used to accompany Knight-Lieutenant Irminric who was very kind and understanding towards what were often scared and traumatized young children and their grieving parents. Chloe felt like she had learned a lot from Irminric, both during the lessons and in the field, but unfortunately during a mission in which Chloe had not taken part, one of the young magically gifted children had panicked and completely lost control of their senses, allowing a demon to take over, and the emerging abomination had killed one of the recruits and crippled another so badly that they had to be discharged from the Order, unable to continue with their training.

Ever since that accident, Knight-Commander Tavish had limited Irminric's involvement in these retrieval missions, instead passing them to Knight-Captain Rylock, the exact opposite to the kind and empathic Irminric. Where Irminric almost always delivered the young magical prodigies to the Circle unharmed, Rylock's record was almost the reverse. Chloe was frightened of this woman who to her appeared unstable and dangerous; she simply could not understand what sort of person could put a child to the sword at the slightest sign of incompliance, but Rylock was exactly that sort of a person. She brought back at best every fifth of her quarries, and the templar recruits throughout the barracks exchanged fearful whispers after having gone on missions with her, having watched her strike down another young boy or girl, claiming that they were about to turn into abominations. The nickname of the 'Butcher of Denerim' stuck, even though nobody would dare to speak it within Rylock's earshot.

As for her relationship with Frank, Chloe was relieved that it had simply ceased to exist. They had barely exchanged a word or two ever since that fateful night at the Pearl, and that was just fine with Chloe. Even though Chloe could not muster much sympathy for the girl who had drugged her with the intention to sexually exploit her, she was at least grateful for Rachel taking her secret about Max to the grave, she could assume as much since otherwise Frank would have tried to capitalize on it. As things stood, Chloe was starting to feel as if she was in the clear, and that perhaps her luck was slowly starting to turn.

Then came the day when they would receive their assignments. Earlier, in a pompous ceremony in the chantry of Denerim, all eleven of the surviving recruits of her class had been officially sworn in as Knight-Templars of the Order, receiving a finely crafted set of weapons and armor, the breastplate and the heavy shield both sporting the symbol of the Templar Order, a downwards pointing sword with three flames on either side of the blade. Once the official part of that ceremony had concluded, the freshly minted Knight-Templars returned to their barracks where Knight-Commander Tavish met them in one of their practice halls, holding a parchment in his hand and about to read from it, Chloe's heart galloping like a pack of wild horses in her chest, stomach making nasty flip-flops and making her feel utterly sick, waiting for her fate to be revealed.

"Justin Williams, Kinloch Hold," Tavish began to read from his list, doing so with agonizing slowness. "Hayden Jones, Kinloch Hold. Evan Harris, Ansburg." Evan, a tall lad, cursed quietly next to Chloe. "Delryn Barris, Montsimmard. Frank Bowers, Kinloch Hold." _Screw that, asshole like Frank getting the best assignment, even though he can't do shit right? That's dumb!_

"Chloe Price, Ki-..." _Yes! Awesome! My luck has finally turned!_ "-rkwall." _...what? No! NO, NO, NO! It... it can't be!_ Chloe staggered, nearly collapsing from shock, no longer listening to the assignments of the other templars, too stunned to do anything, only barely managing to stop herself from crying out in protest that would never amount to much.

_Great fucking Mabari, this can't be it! Everything I've worked for all these years... gone? My great plan to rescue Max collapsing with nothing to show for it?_ Chloe thought to herself desperately, on the verge of panic. _I... no, I can't allow this to happen. I've invested too much into this venture for it to fall apart now. I can't protest about it now, but... but maybe if I could speak with Tavish in private, maybe I could change his mind. He seems to actually think that I'm a good recruit and has complimented me on occasion... but then again, is he just going to change the assignments just because I ask nicely? Unlikely. I'll probably have to give him something in return, but what could I possibly offer? I don't have any coin, besides he has access to the Chantry coffers, it's not like he needs more gold._

_Unless... oh, no, I couldn't... damn it, but if there is no other way..._ Chloe struggled with her inner conflict, remembering the rumors of how much Knight-Commander Tavish appreciated the company of attractive women. _Should I… fuck, I can't believe I'm even considering this! I mean, maybe he doesn't even find me attractive in that way… but then again, he's been very nice and complimentary to me, so… yeah, he probably does. Shit! It's just… the idea is so disgusting… but on the other hand, it's only my pride and dignity against never again seeing Max in my life. And… and I'm finally so close to her, after already having sacrificed so much… what's one more sacrifice to make? Yes… yes, I have to do it. There's no way around it._

Having convinced herself of the righteousness of her cause, Chloe waited for the announcements to end and her fellow new templars to leave the hall before she approached the Knight-Commander, Tavish giving her a questioning stare as if to ask why she had not departed to start her travel preparations. "Yes? What can I do for you, Knight-Templar Price?" he asked.

"I, uh… don't mean to overstep my bounds, Knight-Commander, but I would like to ask about my assignment," Chloe spoke up, mustering a slightly timid smile.

"Ah yes, Kirkwall," Tavish nodded to himself. "A problematic Circle to be sure, but I know you can handle it, Price. In fact, the only reason I'm sending you there is because I owe Knight-Commander Stannard a big favor. I hope that giving her my best of this year's crop will make us even." He gave her an approving smile. "Let me tell you honestly, Price, I don't particularly like female recruits. Too often they either can't take it and run off like Amber, or end up like Rylock," he rolled his eyes as he mentioned his overzealous second in command. "But you've been a pleasant surprise, Price. I didn't expect you to be this levelheaded."

"Thank you, Knight-Commander," Chloe managed, feeling rather proud at the praise from her superior. Somehow it made what she was about to offer a little easier to endure, albeit just slightly. In truth, the Knight-Commander was a fairly dashing man in his late thirties, but Chloe had by now already realized that no man, no matter how handsome, could make her experience all those powerful, overwhelming and potentially destructive feelings she had felt towards Rachel, no matter how wretched the other girl had proven herself to be. Still, she knew that she simply had to clench her teeth and go through with what she had intended. _Whatever is necessary to give this crazy plan any meaning. Whatever is necessary to be reunited with Max._ "But… perhaps I could have been rewarded with an assignment to Kinloch Hold, Knight-Commander?"

"Wish that was possible, Price," Tavish frowned at her. "But like I said, I owe Meredith big time, and I have high hopes that your calm and patience will rub off on that crazy bitch. You'll do well in Kirkwall, you'll see. It's really not that bad an assignment. Hightown is very nice, especially in summer."

"Are you… certain I could not persuade you to change your mind?" Chloe asked with a fake demure smile, hating herself for having to resort to these means. "I would not wish to presume too much, but… perhaps I could stop by your quarters later tonight and we could discuss it?"

Tavish was actually struck speechless by the fairly obvious proposition. "Ah… yes, I believe I can free my schedule for you, Price," he finally replied, smiling and appearing rather taken with the idea. "Yes… it's quite possible that we could come to some sort of arrangement…"

* * *

_Year 9:26 of Dragon Age_

_Kinloch Hold, Ferelden_

Roughly a week later, Knight-Templar Chloe Price tied her horse by the posts near the Lake Calenhad docks, together with four other of her fellow former recruits, then having to stand by the edge of the water and wait for the old ferryman to row his boat over from the majestic Circle Tower far out in the lake, rising tall like a needle above water.

Chloe still felt sick and disgusted about the events that had secured her place in Kinloch Hold, though fortunately the horrible sensations were slowly starting to diminish. After she had returned to her quarters on that fateful evening, she had furiously scrubbed herself clean again and again up to the point where she was all covered in scratches and bruises, the water in the tub turning pink with drops of her blood. At least Tavish hadn't been in any way creepy about it all and he hadn't made her even more uncomfortable and disgusted than she already was. True to his word, the Knight-Commander had given her the much-coveted assignment to Kinloch Hold and even allowed her to choose which of the other templars she wanted to replace. Chloe did not have to think long on that, immediately uttering the name of Frank Bowers to be sent in her place to the Kirkwall Circle of Magi, Chloe feeling relieved about having avoided being stuck under the same roof with someone as unlikable as Frank. Tavish did not exactly look happy with her choice, but granted it anyway, as he had promised.

Now, waiting for the boat to arrive, all these recent events in Denerim seemed to be fading to the background of her mind, Chloe thrilled and excited to finally set her feet inside a proper Circle Tower and discover for herself what about life in the Circle was truth and what was fiction. Before departing from Denerim, she had written to her father to inform him that she had completed her training and had given her return address as the tower of Kinloch Hold, but the message lacked the prideful tone that Chloe herself would have otherwise added, feeling like her accomplishments had been marred by what she had been forced to do to remain stationed in Ferelden. Still, she knew that her dad would be indescribably proud of her anyway, and she was looking forward to receiving his return letter, though not quite as much as she was looking forward to see Max, hoping that her friend would still remember her after all these years.

Once the new templar arrivals had been brought across the lake to the tower, they had barely made the first few steps into their new home when they were met by the Knight-Commander of the Ferelden Circle of Magi himself, a stern but fair looking man with slightly graying hair and beard, looking at least a decade older than Tavish. Having given them a boring welcoming speech that he was reciting probably for the twentieth time, Knight-Commander Greagoir assigned each of the new arrivals to one of the more experienced templars of the Circle who were to act as their mentors during their first three months in Kinloch Hold, showing them all the ropes, instructing and observing. Knowing her luck, Chloe firmly expected to be handed over to some insufferable, ancient, lyrium-addled coot, but when her mentor bowed his head to her and then removed his helmet, Chloe nearly let out a girlish squeal of delight.

"Cullen!" she exclaimed joyfully, grinning broadly at her old friend from her first year in Denerim. "It's… so good to see you!"

"Glad you made it, Chloe," Cullen smiled back at her. "I volunteered to be your mentor as soon as I saw your name on the Knight-Commander's list." One of the other templars nearby added a crude comment about Cullen just hoping to get laid with a blue-haired broad, but both Cullen and Chloe ignored the barb, even if Chloe felt a little stung by it considering what she had done to get here.

"Why don't we get started then?" Chloe asked excitedly. _Maybe I can spot Max amongst all the mages. Maybe even wave at her or something. Great Mabari, she's going to be so shocked to see me here, that poor girl! I guess I'll have to wait until later to speak with her, though, Cullen probably wouldn't want me to do that._

"Sure. But we have to go over some ground rules before heading past the gates, since you might come into contact with mages almost immediately," Cullen spoke, pointing at a large guarded gate blocking the path further into the tower. "These rules are different from one Circle to another, so don't be too surprised if some things are not what you expected from your training in Denerim. First of all, when you find yourself in parts of the tower that are freely accessible by mages, you must always wear your armor, including your helmet, and you should never remove it. Knight-Commander Greagoir is very particular about us revealing our faces to the mages."

"What?" Chloe gasped. "But… why?"

"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest," Cullen replied. "He seems to think that they can't see as living human beings, and we must not see them as such either. We must remain cold, distant and impersonal to retain our objectivity. If we become overly attached to our charges, our sword arm might falter when it is expected to deliver a fatal blow."

"So we harden our hearts not to care when a mage must be killed, I see," Chloe scowled. _This Circle seems almost like it would be run by Rylock. Serving here would totally be like a wet dream for her._

"There is some logic to it, Chloe," Cullen argued. "This is also why we are forbidden to speak with the mages."

"What, never?" Chloe shook her head. "But what if one of them needs some sort of assistance? What if I need directions, can't I just ask a mage?"

"It is very much discouraged, I'm afraid," Cullen replied. "Of course, in a matter of emergency, you may communicate with a mage, but otherwise it would be best if you could limit yourself to sign language. If you are undecided on how to act, please turn to me or any other senior templar for advice."

"Uh… okay?" Chloe managed, starting to fume inwardly. _What the fuck, I've made it all the way here and they expect me not to exchange a single word with Max? Screw that! I'll find a way… but first I need to find Max._

"I hope you will take these rules seriously, Chloe, because disrespecting them will not only get you in trouble, but your mentor as well," Cullen gave her a firm stare, earning himself a nod of understanding. "Right, with that said… let's proceed inside," he said as they approached the gate, one of the templars standing by it opening it and allowing them to pass. Without any further delays, Cullen began their tour of the Circle Tower, starting with the apprentice quarters on the first floor.

_I wonder if Max is still an apprentice, or has she gained full membership by now,_ Chloe wondered as they walked through the hallway, looking around at the young mage apprentices, but unable to spot Max anywhere. The looks that she and Cullen were receiving even from these young children made her feel rather uncomfortable, fear, distrust and often clear dislike in their eyes. Chloe had expected that the relationship between the mages and templars in any Circle would be strained at best, but to actually be confronted with the sentiment from the mages was... sobering, filling her with worry. _Maybe Max hates the templars as well. Maybe she will hate what I have become and won't want anything to do with me. Maybe my plan was my stupidest idea yet..._

Having passed through the apprentice library, Cullen and Chloe climbed the stairs to the second floor and the workshops of the Formari crafters where Chloe received her introduction to the Tranquil. Their empty stares and monotonous speech as each of them introduced themselves to Chloe made cold sweat of sheer dread run down the girl's back, making her feel as if she was speaking with animated corpses, not living human beings. With Chloe still reeling from meeting the Tranquil, Cullen led her past the apprentice classrooms before making a stop at the common hall, a place of gathering where the fully-fledged mages and apprentices could interact freely outside of the classes.

That was where Chloe finally saw her. At first, she almost failed to recognize her Max, the other girl having stretched quite a bit, though still a couple of inches short on Chloe. Max still appeared a little on the skinny side, even though her beautifully crafted purple and gold mage robe did not reveal a great deal. Chloe felt grateful that her face was hidden behind the visor and the narrow eye slits did not allow anyone to notice how she simply could not take her eyes away from Max's face. Somehow, over the years, the adorably dorky cuteness of her childhood friend had evolved into a sort of serene and quiet beauty that took Chloe by complete surprise and cut straight to her heart. All those feelings she had once harbored for Rachel rushed back as if in flood, except that Rachel instantly faded from those memories, her face replaced with Max's.

It was then that Chloe noticed a young man, a fellow mage close to Max's age, keeping very close to her as the two of them argued with two other mages, the lad occasionally brushing against Max's shoulder or touching her elbow in a familiar manner that made unexpected bitterness rising in Chloe's throat. _Could that be her boyfriend? Ugh, I should have expected a pretty girl like Max to not stay single,_ Chloe sighed inwardly, feeling dejected. _Maybe she's happy here... with him? Maybe she wouldn't even want to flee the Circle? Or maybe she'd want to drag that skinny dork with her? Shit..._

Cullen was already starting to nudge her on the shoulder as a hint that they should move on, when Max suddenly turned her head to look Chloe's way. Of course, Max did not, could not recognize her under the heavy templar armor, but Chloe was still taken aback, badly shaken by the expression in Max's eyes, a look of pure hatred as she stared briefly at her and Cullen, then turning away again.

_Great Mabari... that hatred... what have the templars done to earn such enmity from my gentle and innocent Max?_ Chloe asked herself as Cullen led her away, feeling utterly devastated. _It's as I had begun to fear... Max hates the templars, and she will hate me and what I have become. What have I done? I have ruined my whole life... for absolutely nothing._


	10. Chapter 10

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Kinloch Hold, Ferelden_

Max Caulfield sighed in frustration as she looked out the window of her gilded cage, the reasonably comfortable private quarters she had been assigned now that she had become a full-fledged mage of the Circle. With this official promotion had come some very limited freedoms compared to what she had enjoyed as an apprentice, but it had also introduced her to an issue that had completely blindsided her and the other surviving graduates of her class: the Circle politics.

The structure of the Circle of Magi was a fairly complicated one, and it was also something that Max as an apprentice had no interest in learning about. At the top of the pyramid was the College of Magi comprised from the First Enchanters of all the Circles throughout Thedas, and the College itself was presided over by the Grand Enchanter, the post currently held by an elven woman named Fiona from the Circle of Cumberland. The position of the First Enchanter in any given Circle, however, was determined by the influence of something called the fraternities of any given Circle. For example, the majority of the Ferelden Circle of Magi were Aequitarians, moderately leaning mages who advocated for responsible and ethical use of magic, operating within the Chantry laws, while at the same time working to change some of the more oppressive rules imposed upon them by the Chantry and trying to improve conditions in the Circles in general. First Enchanter Irving was an Aequitarian, as was a large majority of the enchanters, which meant that following Irving's eventual retirement due to quickly approaching old age, it was likely to be another Aequitarian taking up the vacant position, most enchanters leaning towards supporting Wynne as the best candidate.

In truth, Max felt like she would find herself right at home with the Aequitarians, once she had received her next promotion to the rank of enchanter and was actually allowed to officially join a fraternity. However, following her experiences of Harrowing, the death of Stella and two other apprentices of her class who had failed their Harrowing, as well as Alyssa's decision to become a Tranquil, Max still experienced flashes of horrible anger towards the Chantry and its templars for this unfair system of torturous trials they had created. It did not help that lately she felt as if she was being stalked by one of those creepy, armored tin cans. Perhaps _stalked_ was too strong of a word, Max admitted as much to herself, but it felt as if this particular templar was looking at her differently, without that cold, dispassionate indifference, and this unexpected attitude disturbed Max. At this point, she wanted the templars to hate and despise her, thus confirming her worst assumptions about them. She did not want to meet a templar who was different from those she had come to hate.

Considering that the Aequitarians were in such an overwhelming majority, the other fraternities had as of late began very aggressive recruiting campaigns, pouncing on mages fresh out of their Harrowings and trying to secure their long-standing support. Only two of these fraternities were of any significance and deserved consideration. The Loyalists followed the Chantry's word down to the letter, these Chantry apologists always seeking to justify the templar crimes against their own kind, unwilling to even entertain the thought that the Chantry and its templars could ever be wrong, and that someone might be deliberately misinterpreting the Chant of Light in order to keep the mages oppressed. Many of these loyalist mages believed that their magic was a curse of the Maker, inflicted upon them for their sins, and so Max was certain that if her friend Kate was still alive and had survived the Harrowing, she would have found succor amongst the small fraternity of the Loyalists, but it definitely was not an option for Max.

And so, with her anger towards the templars and the Chantry at its peak, Max had responded favorably to the advances of the Libertarian fraternity. The Libertarians were a controversial group that was treated with the utmost concern and suspicion by the templars, for they were trying to encourage the Circles to become more autonomous and self-regulating, eventually breaking away from the Chantry rule, something that the Chantry had no interest in allowing. And while most Libertarians advocated for non-violent means to gain their independence, there was rumor of a faction within the Libertarians called the Resolutionists, people who promoted the use any means, including violence, to cast off the Chantry shackles. Max had no interest in dealing with these Resolutionists, but the overall goals of the Libertarians appealed greatly to her, so she had given a provisional agreement to join their fraternity once she was allowed to do so. It seemed like a good idea at the time, for the Libertarians were the fastest growing fraternity amongst all Circles, aided by the fact that Grand Enchanter Fiona was a Libertarian, even if the College of Magi itself still held an Aequitarian majority.

However, after Max had disclosed her plans to Warren, her friend had been spending many hours stubbornly trying to change her mind, and instead join him and Brooke in the ranks of the Aequitarians. Warren was searching relentlessly for various examples of the Libertarians taking extreme actions to achieve their goals, pointing out signs of hate mongering in their rhetoric, and given enough time, Max was slowly becoming convinced that perhaps a less radical approach to changing the fortunes of her fellow mages might be more preferable. Her change of heart left Max in a slightly precarious position since she had already promised her support to the Libertarians, and even if such promises were not in any way binding, she was concerned about their reaction when she announced that she had changed her mind. In less than an hour, she was supposed to meet two of the Libertarian mages to discuss the latest developments within the fraternity, and Max still felt undecided whether she wanted to bring up her decision and risk earning their wrath.

Uncertain and hesitant, Max broke away from the window and crossed the floor of her room to step out into the corridor, having decided to seek out Warren and talk things over with him one more time, his counsel never steering her wrong before. Warren was absent from his quarters, but Max eventually managed to find him in the smaller library on the third floor, meant solely for the full-fledged mages, sitting together with Brooke and discussing something over a mug of steaming herbal tea. Max smiled to herself, feeling both joy and relief at seeing the pair growing ever closer. For a while it seemed as if Warren would never get over his infatuation with her, and in truth it had become worse following their both successful Harrowings, but lately, having been discouraged by Max's indifference, Warren appeared to be bonding romantically with Brooke. On her part, Max had already realized that she was simply not sexually attracted to the opposite gender. Whenever she sought brief solace and relief from all the tensions in the privacy of her room, she could not stop herself from recalling the painful memory from her Harrowing, the desire demon posing as Chloe. Even if she realized that Chloe might not even look anything like in that fake memory, or that her friend would be utterly disgusted that Max would think of her in a sexual way, she simply could not stop her thoughts from wandering in that direction, as ashamed as it made her.

"Hey, you two," she smiled softly as she approached her friends, expecting a frown from Brooke for interrupting their privacy, but it never came, the raven-haired girl simply smiling at her. _Damn... if I had known that telling Brooke that I wasn't romantically interested in Warren would stop all that haughtiness and snapping at me, I would have done so a long time ago,_ Max thought to herself in amusement. _Maybe we would have been best friends by now... ah well, still time for that!_

"Hey Max," Warren greeted her as she sat down with them. "I thought you were going to meet with your... you know, other friends."

"Ahem, yes, in a bit," Max blushed slightly. "That's kinda why I'm here, Warren. I've been... thinking a lot about what you've told me over the past weeks... you too, Brooke," she smiled at the other girl. "And I'm really torn. I think I'm starting to see your point..."

"You know we're right about this, Max," Brooke said with her usual confidence. "The Libertarians can't win this in the long run. They want to change too much too quickly."

"Yeah, I know it seems like that," Max nodded. "But you know, maybe sometimes change needs to be like that. Shocking and abrupt."

"That might work if this only concerned us, the Chantry and the templars," Warren argued. "Unfortunately, what happens with the mages has huge ramifications for people outside the Circles as well. And it's no secret that the ordinary folk of Thedas fear mages."

"And often for a good reason," Brooke nodded. "There are too many incidents with magic being used in an irresponsible manner, leading to loss of life, and it's just too easy for the Chantry to exploit it. That's why as Aequitarians we feel so strongly about using our magic in a responsible way, while at the same time working to slowly change the public perception of the mages. For every story of maleficarum and abominations that the Chantry propagates, we must come up with three other stories of heroic, responsible mages, and we must make these stories heard throughout Thedas."

"Well, I guess that sounds good in theory, but wouldn't it take too much time in practice?" Max asked. "We'd pretty much need Thedas to face some kind of horrible disaster so that the mages could step up and save the day."

"Helpful as that might be, I wouldn't wish that on the people of Thedas," Warren sighed. "And you're right, Max, this approach might take a long time to get us where we want to be, but I feel like it's still the right path to take. We need to show with example that we are responsible enough to govern ourselves."

"I agree with Warren," Brooke smiled at the young man next to her. "Meanwhile, the Libertarians simply demand more rights. It's all too easy for the Chantry to shoot their requests down, pointing out all the awful things that some of the Libertarian supporters have done. They'll never get anything done that way. Especially if the Resolutionists continue to spread their influence within the fraternity."

"Okay, fine, fine, I'm convinced," Max chuckled, raising her hands in mock-surrender. "I'm going to tell them that I'm bowing out and joining the Aequitarians instead. I just hope they won't react too badly."

"Want us to go with you?" Warren asked, looking a little concerned.

"I doubt that's necessary," Brooke pointed out, clearly preferring to remain just where she was, by Warren's side. "Even the Libertarians wouldn't dare to start trouble here with templars on every corner."

"That's exactly what I thought," Max agreed with a nod of her head. "Besides, I don't want it to seem like I'm trying to intimidate them by bringing along my friends. I made the mistake of promising them my support, I'm going to correct it myself."

"Alright," Warren reluctantly agreed. "You just be careful, Max."

Max merely smiled at her friends as she rose from her seat and walked out of the library. Her place of meeting with the Libertarians was the small chapel on the second floor, usually empty as long as they chose the time of the day when the Chantry sisters were not conducting their religious sermons. When Max reached the chapel, making sure that no templars had followed her, she found it empty as expected, save for her two Libertarian friends. Neither of the two had yet reached the rank of enchanter, so they were not actually members of the fraternity, but like Max they had made a promise to join the Libertarians as soon as they were able and they were taking their vows very seriously, making sure that Max did so as well.

One of the Libertarian hopefuls was a young man called Anders, some two or three years older than Max, slightly effeminate with long blonde hair styled in a ponytail, green emeralds glistening in each earlobe. He was always accompanied by an older mage, closer to his thirties and sporting thick dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard, a very serious and grim looking man by the name of Karl. The way these two sometimes acted around each other with curious familiarity led Max to suspect that they were romantically involved, not that she would ever think to pry into their private matters.

"Ah, there you are," Anders noticed her first, grinning at Max. "Boy, do we have some news for you. Uldred read us a bit from the first draft of the bill of secession-..."

"Uh... please, Anders, before you tell me that, I have some news for you as well," Max said, raising her hand to stop the other mage's flood of words. "News that you probably won't like..."

"You've been hanging out too much with your Aequitarian leaning friends, haven't you?" Karl asked, giving her a dirty glare.

"Yeah, what of it?" Max retorted, unimpressed with Karl's attitude. He often seemed the more radical and confrontational of the two, making Max wonder just how much of Anders going along with the Libertarian agenda was to do with their romantic involvement. "I'm sorry, but the more I listen to them, the more what the Aequitarians are saying is starting to make sense."

"They're just spreading their own propaganda, Max, don't you understand?" Karl gave her a frustrated stare. "Those Chantry arse-lickers will never achieve anything, I thought that would have become clear by now! Of course they're trying to make us look bad since our ranks are growing so swiftly!"

"Yeah, Karl is right, they're often making completely ridiculous claims," Anders agreed with his lover. "By the Maker, they make it sound as if we'd be willing to blow up a chantry to achieve our goals. How ridiculous is that?"

"I don't know," Max shrugged. "It doesn't change that I still want out. Tell Uldred that I'm going to join the ranks of the Aequitarians once I become an enchanter."

"You're making a big mistake, Max," Anders shook his head sadly. "You'd have made a fine Libertarian. I know how much you hate the Chantry and the templars, and the whole unjust system... the best way to oppose it is as a Libertarian."

"Yeah," Karl nodded, taking a step closer to Max, glowering in anger. "Breaking a promise is not a small thing, girl. We will remember. Reconsider, or else you might earn a dangerous enemy here today."

"Are you threatening me?" Max asked, almost unable to believe what she was hearing. "You're only confirming that my decision is the right one."

"I'm sure Karl didn't mean it like that, Max," Anders said quickly, trying to appear conciliatory. "Didn't you, Karl?"

"Maybe I did mean it," Karl snarled angrily, placing his hand on Max's shoulder and squeezing it painfully. "Remember what I'm going to tell you now, girl. After we have crushed the Chantry and the templars, time will come for those mages who did not stand with us. Don't end up on the wrong side, Caulfield."

"You're hurting me," Max sobbed, trying to pull away, but Karl would not allow her… and then they were all taken by surprise as another voice spoke up from the doorway into the chapel.

"Let her go and step away, mage," a female templar intervened, the same whom Max had often noticed looking at her with an inquiring, sympathetic... perhaps even strangely longing expression in her eyes.

"Shit!" Karl exclaimed in panic. A burst of magic suddenly sprang from his hands and struck the unsuspecting templar, throwing the woman against a wall and stunning her.

"What are you doing, Karl?" Anders exclaimed, looking horrified. "Attacking a templar? Are you insane?"

"No, are you?" Karl snarled back at his lover. "She heard me talking about crushing the templars and the Chantry! Don't you know what happens to the mages who says things like that?" Anders fell silent, knowing exactly what Karl was implying. "Stop standing there uselessly and take her helmet off," he ordered Anders.

"What do you think you're doing?" Max asked quietly, looking on as Anders crossed the chapel and bent down next to the fallen templar while in the meantime Karl withdrew a wicked looking dagger.

"Silencing her forever, of course," Karl replied with determination. "But obviously we can't kill her with magic. If I slit her throat, at least there's a chance that mages won't be the only suspects."

"It's still probably going to get us all killed," Anders muttered, having removed the templar's helmet. Max stepped forth, still terrified from what Karl was about to do, glancing down at the fallen templar, surprised to see a boyish mop of shockingly bright blue hair, but then letting out a loud gasp when her eyes settled on the templar's face, recognition setting in immediately. _Chloe? It's Chloe! But... but how? Why is she here... wearing templar armor? This is insane!_

"It doesn't matter," Karl said, stepping forward with his dagger poised to strike. "Say hello to the Maker when you see him, templar bitch."

"Max... I..." Chloe moaned helplessly, still partly stunned by Karl's magic as she looked up at her best friend, their eyes meeting.

"No!" Max screamed at the top of her lungs, feeling a dormant torrent of magic rising within her, something that she could never tap into under normal circumstances. Just as those nearly five years ago when Chloe's life was threatened on the shores of the Waking Sea, Max felt the same strange energy surging through her, enveloping the young mage and bending reality itself all around her. Everything around her briefly darkened as Max became like a living conduit for the raw energy of the Fade, roaring as it twisted and reshaped the pattern of reality. As her uncontrolled magic began to subside, Max could hear a cry of pain from within the chapel, but fortunately it did not seem to be coming from Chloe. When Max finally dared to open her eyes again, she saw that Karl's dagger was embedded in his own throat, leaving him in a rapidly growing pool of blood, while Chloe and Anders were spread out on the floor, passed out.

Before Max could even think on what to do now, she was surprised by a group of three templars bursting into the small chapel, led by Knight-Commander Greagoir himself. "Give up, Caulfield," Greagoir bellowed at her. "Don't even try anything!"

"But I didn't-..." Max tried to protest, even as she realized how bad it must have looked for her, standing over a corpse and two unconscious bodies, her arms still frozen in the position of having cast a spell.

"Don't bother," Greagoir snapped, calling upon his lyrium enabled ability to dampen magic and blasting Max with it, leaving her as if paralyzed and barely able to move her fingers. "Carroll, Hadley, seize her," he motioned to his two lackeys. "Drag her to the Harrowing Chamber and prepare for the Rite of Tranquility. This is the clearest case I've come across in my twenty years here," he spoke angrily as Max found herself too stunned to even scream, tears of disbelief running down her cheeks.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Kinloch Hold, Ferelden_

Chloe woke with a start, immediately rising in the bed even before she had opened her eyes. "Easy there," she relaxed slightly, hearing a familiar voice speaking up, opening her eyes to see Cullen standing by the doors of her room and giving her a concerned stare. "Take it slow, Chloe. Nobody really knows what happened to you... do you even remember anything?"

At first, Chloe wasn't sure what to reply. She remembered entering the chapel, Max being there, and then one of the other mages had attacked her, but after that her memory was a blank. "Not really, Cullen," she shrugged, climbing out of the bed despite the other templar's concerned frown. "Tell me what happened."

"We're not really sure," Cullen shrugged. "But one of the mages, Karl Thekla, is dead, and you and the other mage, Anders, were found unconscious. Apparently, Caulfield had attacked all of you, though why would she do something like that, Maker only knows."

"What?" Chloe exclaimed hoarsely, struggling to believe what she was hearing. "They think Ma-... mage Caulfield did it?" _Fuck, this isn't good... if they think Max is at fault, they might do something horrible to her..._

"Well, they caught her standing over your prone bodies, having just cast some sort of a crazy spell," Cullen explained. "Greagoir said it was something similar to what landed her in the Circle in the first place."

_Oh no... no, no, no... Max's magic kicked in to save me yet again, and now she is going to be punished for it!_ "I... see," Chloe somehow managed, not quite sure how she was able to retain a degree of calm in the face of this horrible misunderstanding. "Where is Caulfield now? What are they planning to do with her?"

"Carroll and Hadley are guarding her in the Harrowing Chamber," Cullen replied. "In the meantime, Greagoir is preparing the Rite of Tranquility. I think they might be performing it as we speak."

Chloe's knees buckled under her, nearly causing her to fall, but she somehow managed to steady herself against a table before Cullen noticed her reaction. _They're going to... turn Max into an emotionless lyrium zombie? Wipe out her personality, destroy her beautiful soul? I can't let that happen! I have to stop Greagoir and his lackeys!_ "Cullen... do you think they would object if... if I went to join them?" she forced herself to ask.

"You shouldn't really be moving about, Chloe," Cullen gave her a concerned look. "But... considering that Caulfield attacked you, I imagine that the Knight-Commander would understand you wanting to see her punished. Strange, though... she seemed to be so polite and reasonable. I would suspect most of the mages here to pull something like that, but I would have never suspected Caulfield..."

"Excuse me, Cullen," Chloe said hastily, no longer listening as she knew that time was of essence, grabbing her helmet and putting it on as she brushed past her mentor at the Circle and quickly rushed down the hallway towards the stairs leading to the top of the tower and the Harrowing Chamber located there.

As Chloe pushed the chamber's doors wide to enter, she was relieved to see that she was not too late, not that this made her task to save Max from this horrible fate any easier. Two of the templars, Carroll and Hadley, were holding Max's arms wringed behind her back while Greagoir was busy preparing the lyrium brand that would be used to burn the Chantry's sunburst into Max's forehead following the ritual, forever marking her as a Tranquil, a soulless lyrium zombie.

"What is the meaning of this interruption?" Greagoir turned towards her, frowning in displeasure.

"Knight-Templar Price," Chloe identified herself, looking past Greagoir at Max, struggling in the arms of her captors, her eyes widening as she stared at Chloe, her appearance hidden under the full templar armor. Max's face was smudged with blood and tears, deep cuts on both of her cheeks as her captors had clearly enjoyed exercising their power. "Knight-Commander... I believe that you are making a mistake. It wasn't Caulfield who attacked me, it was the other mage... the one with the dark beard, Karl Thekla."

"And he then stabbed himself in the face with a dagger?" Greagoir gave her a dark stare, both Carroll and Hadley laughing openly behind his back. "Price, we caught Caulfield standing over you after she had just cast a spell... and we have it on record that she has used this sort of strange magic before. I don't know what your game is, Price... maybe you're still under the influence of Caulfield's magic, so perhaps we should isolate you for observation..."

_This old fucker isn't going to believe me, that much is clear... but I can't leave it like this, I won't allow them to do this to Max!_ Chloe thought frantically, panic and helplessness seizing her. Greagoir was working on the lyrium brand in the light provided by a heavy iron candelabrum. Without thinking, Chloe rushed forward, grabbed the candelabrum and with a heavy blow crashed it against the Knight-Commander's temples, her superior collapsing in a heap with a pathetic moan, remaining still on the floor, knocked unconscious.

"What the... are you insane, Price?" Carroll growled at her, releasing Max's arm in order to draw his sword. "Watch the mage, Hadley! I have a traitor to deal with," he snarled as he came at Chloe, blade swinging with intent to kill, not merely to disarm. Chloe met his slash, blocking it with her own sword, the superior strength of the male templar driving her backwards. Carroll immediately tried to press his advantage, following up with another quick swing. Instead of having drawn her shield, Chloe had picked up the heavy candelabrum in her left hand, now swiftly bringing it up to block Carroll's slash, using it as a shield. It proved to be a fortunate decision because Carroll's sword became stuck in the metal ornaments of the candelabrum. As her opponent struggled to withdraw his blade, Chloe used the opportunity to whack him heavily on the side of the head with the flat of her blade, stunning Carroll. Chloe then stepped up and rammed the pommel of her sword into Carroll's face, breaking his nose with a solid crunch and sending him sprawling on the floor next to Greagoir, equally unconscious.

"Fuck!" Hadley exclaimed, clearly not having expected Chloe to deal successfully with both Greagoir and Carroll. "Screw this, I'll kill you myself, bitch!" he shouted, releasing Max and then whacking her in the ribs with his armored elbow, Max collapsing with a cry of pain that sent a surge of murderous rage through Chloe's veins. Hadley was upon her in an instant, almost foaming at his mouth as he drove her backwards with powerful swings, eventually knocking the sword out of her hands, and about to run her through, but then her opponent suddenly froze and began to shake, sword falling from his helpless hands. Chloe quickly glanced past Hadley to catch a glimpse of Max up on her feet again, having unleashed a Crushing Prison spell to paralyze Hadley. Chloe reacted quickly before the spell had expired, picking up her sword and then dropping the male templar with another solid punch to the face with the pommel of her sword.

"Are... are you alright?" Chloe was the first who dared to speak, staring at a still slightly stunned and confused Max, neither of them looking as if they knew what to do next.

"Alright? Am I... alright?" Max laughed, almost hysterically. "I... can't believe you would ask that! What... what are you even doing here, Chloe? I tried to save you... but now you're just going to get us both killed!"

"Okay... not the gratitude I kinda expected for saving you," Chloe blinked.

"Does that mean you have a plan on how to get out of here?" Max stared at her.

"Well... uh, no, not really," Chloe admitted. "Listen, I only just woke up in my quarters and I rushed here as quickly as I could to save you from the Rite of Tranquility. I kinda thought that... well, I didn't really expect our reunion to be like this, Max."

"Chloe... I didn't expect there to be a reunion," Max gave her a dejected stare. "It seems like we will have a great deal to discuss... if we're even going to get that opportunity. But..." she quickly crossed the distance between them and embraced her friend, sighing in content as Chloe protectively wrapped her arms around her back. "Thank you for sparing me the horrible, empty existence as a Tranquil, Chloe. Death would have been more preferable..." She looked up to stare into Chloe's blue tear-filled eyes. "Is this better for a reunion?"

"Much better," Chloe whispered hoarsely, reluctantly releasing Max from her embrace. "And it also gave me an inspiration for how to escape the Circle Tower. Max... do you think you could manage wearing templar armor?"

"Oh..." Max nodded in realization. "Anything to survive, Chloe. I'm sure I can manage."

"Good," Chloe smiled nervously, looking down at the three unconscious templars. "We should have some time before anyone else dares to come up here and interrupt Greagoir. Carroll looks to be the smallest of the three... give me a hand in stripping off his armor..."

Less than ten minutes later, Max had somehow managed to fit herself into the templar armor, but her groggy, unbalanced gait made it clear to Chloe that Max would never convince anyone that there was an actual templar inside that suit of armor. "Wait a moment... I could use my magic to briefly boost my physical strength," Max suddenly exclaimed in realization. "I forgot I could do that," she added with a nervous chuckle, calling upon her magic, the extra boost it provided making the armor feel considerably lighter and her steps around the chamber appeared that much more convincing.

"You know... this might actually work," Chloe said, feeling cautiously encouraged by what she saw. "And don't waste that spell while we're climbing the stairs. You'll need it by the time we get to the front gate where I'll have to bluff my way past the guards."

"I hope you have a plan for that..." Max quipped.

"I'm working on it... and I already have some ideas, ye of little faith," Chloe replied, taking Max's gauntleted hand in hers. "Come on, let's go. Hopefully our luck will hold so that we can get out of here in one piece..."

"What luck?" Max chuckled bitterly. "Chloe... if they capture us... I won't let them take me alive. I hope you can understand that... I can't face Tranquility."

"It won't come to that," Chloe replied reassuringly, even if deep inside she was terrified, still trying to appear strong and confident for Max. "I promise. Now that we're back together, we're invincible, right?"

"Just like old times," Max nodded, sounding a little more optimistic as they left the Harrowing Chamber together.

As they made their way downstairs to the ground floor of the tower, Chloe was relieved that they did not run into Cullen, not relishing the idea of having to punch out the lights of her friend and mentor, since he would have surely suspected that something was off. As it was, the few templars they passed on the stairs paid them no attention, nor did the two guards at the inner gate that separated the apprentice quarters from the entrance hall. It was only at the outer gate and the exit from the tower that they were stopped by two slightly lazy looking templar guards, both of them Chloe's fellow graduates from Denerim barracks, one of them walking up to her and Max, Chloe removing her helmet and smiling at Knight-Templar Williams while Max obviously kept her helmet on.

"Ah, Chloe... hey, you alright?" Justin droned, sounding like he had just taken an extra dose of spiked lyrium. "Heard you were attacked by some crazy mage... or something..."

"Yeah, it was a bit insane," Chloe nodded, faking an easy laughter. "The old man let me and Cullen," she pointed at the disguised Max, knowing that Justin and the other templars were aware of her friendship with Cullen, some even rumoring that it was romantic. "Go and enjoy an evening of fun at the Spoiled Princess... you know, relax a bit, take my mind off from what happened." The Spoiled Princess was a popular tavern at the Lake Calenhad Docks, often frequented by off-duty templars, if they could secure a permission from Knight-Commander Greagoir, which admittedly was hard to come by.

"Sure, sure, sounds awesome," Justin chuckled. "Got any papers for me?" he asked, Chloe wincing inwardly, having expected this development.

"Ugh, Justin... Greagoir was so busy working on that lyrium brand that he just kinda shouted the permission at me before telling us to beat it," she replied with an innocent smile. "You're not going to be a boring stickler for rules, right? I'll bring back something for you from the Spoiled Princess. Deal?"

"Make it two bottles of West Hill Brandy, and you've got yourself a deal, Chloe," the other templar at the gate laughed, Justin's best friend Trevor giving her a knowing grin.

"Sure thing, Trevor," Chloe winked at the other templar who then together with Justin unbarred the gate and allowed Chloe and the disguised Max to pass through, the pair walking down the stone steps leading away from the tower, all the way down to the small pier nearby, Chloe letting out a loud curse when she noticed that the ferryman and his boat were on the other side.

"This is so not going to work," Max groaned as she watched Chloe jumping up and down on the pier, trying to attract Kester's attention on the other side. "We are soooo dead."

"Chin up, Max... look, the old man noticed us!" Chloe replied, watching nervously as the ferryman slowly untied his boat and then began to lazily row it across the calm waters towards the docks by the tower. She was painfully aware that it was only a matter of time before their escape was discovered, and if Kester did not make it across soon, then she and Max would meet a bloody end on the pier.

"Great Mabari... this is killing me..." Max moaned, casting nervous glances at the entrance to the Circle Tower, expecting a regiment of angry templars to burst through any time now.

"Take my hand, Max," Chloe whispered, wrapping her gauntleted fingers around Max's smaller hand and somehow immediately feeling calmer.

"Thanks," Max breathed out in relief as with their hearts racing and blood pounding in their temples, the two girls waited for the ferryman to finally bring the boat across and throw them the rope to fasten it before climbing aboard.

"Sorry, lads," Kester spoke to them sheepishly. "Didn't expect any of you folks wanting to get across at this time of day."

"It's alright, Kester," Chloe replied, letting out a big sigh of relief as the ferryman pushed the boat away from the docks with his oar, starting the return journey to bring them over to the other side. "Do you know if there are any other templars at the tavern today?"

"Don't think so, lass... umm, and sorry for calling you a lad," Kester apologized a little awkwardly. "Shouldn't assume it's only men serving in the Order, right? For all I know, you could both be fine lassies."

Chloe and Max exchanged slightly amused glances at that, but before any of them could reply, the entrance gate to the Circle Tower opened and a group of templars emerged, swiftly running down to the pier, shouting aloud. "Kester! Turn back immediately! That's an order! Bring those two back!" came the templar cries from the docks by the tower.

"Umm so... you two in some kind of trouble?" Kester asked in a nervous voice, having stopped rowing.

"Don't concern yourself with that, Kester," Chloe told him sternly, withdrawing her sword and pointing it at the old man, desperately hoping that she wouldn't have to use it. "Just keep going until you reach the other side."

"Chloe..." Max whispered, sounding uneasy with the threat Chloe was making.

"There's no going back for either of us and you know it," Chloe replied grimly, Max eventually nodding in understanding. "Like I said, Kester, keep going if you value your life."

"Y-yes... of course, lass. And you don't need to brandish that sword of yours," the old ferryman paled, picking up the pace and quickly bringing them over to the other side, amidst the threats and curses of the templars gathered on the pier, having to helplessly watch their escape.

"I'm sorry, Kester, but there's something I have to do to make sure that the templars can't follow us," Chloe spoke up once they were all safe on the pier by the tavern. "Step away from that boat," she said, approaching the rowboat with her sword drawn.

"Maker... they'll have my head for this," Kester groaned pitifully.

"Why would they? I don't see how they could blame you for this," Chloe shrugged. "We obviously forced you to comply," she added, ready to start chopping up the boat, Max raising her hand to stop her.

"Uh, Chloe... there's a much easier way to destroy that boat, if you would allow me," she spoke up, removing the chainmail gauntlets detrimental to her ability to channel magic. Chloe at first did not understand what Max intended to do, but then the realization set in and she stepped away from the boat, pushing Kester away as well. Shortly after, a ball of ice leapt from Max's outstretched hands and struck the boat, encasing it in a crust of ice. Moments later, it was struck by a blast of pure energy, shattering the ice together with the boat, sending small shards of wood scattering everywhere.

"Sorry about that, Kester," Chloe said, looking at the mournful ferryman. "I'm sure that the templars will get you a new and much better boat," she added, together with Max walking away from the docks, leaving the devastated old man as he sank to his knees and watched the splinters floating in the water by the pier.

"Okay, so far so good, but what now, Chloe?" Max asked as they stood in front of the Spoiled Princess. "What's the plan?"

"Hmm... I figure we have a day, maybe two, before they get a new boat and make it across," Chloe mused. "We have to use this time wisely, Max. There's one big problem with this escape plan..."

"My phylactery," Max finished grimly. "I know. It's... I mean, we're really up against it here, Chloe."

"If we can beat them to Denerim, then I can remove your phylactery from the chantry vault and destroy it," Chloe said. "That's what we have to do. We need to get to Denerim quickly, and to do that we need horses."

"There are some horses in the stables over there," Max pointed at the steeds tied down in the tavern's stables. "Do we just... steal them?"

"Let's just say that we're borrowing the horses in case of emergency," Chloe said flippantly, feeling slightly more optimistic now that they actually had some kind of a plan.

"But Chloe... I can't ride, and definitely not while wearing this heavy templar armor," Max exclaimed. "In fact... I'm starting to get really tired from having it on... I'm not sure how long I can keep it up."

"Hmm... let's see," Chloe mused thoughtfully. "I think you can just discard that armor now and wear your mage robes openly... at least for now. We can always pretend that I'm escorting you somewhere on a secret Chantry mission. People won't freak out when they see a mage who has a templar handler with her at all times."

"Alright," Max said, sounding more relieved. "Chloe... neither of us have any money, right?" Chloe nodded to that. "But we'll need it to buy things like food and maybe something else... how are we going to pay for everything?"

"Oh... umm," Chloe stood still for a moment, thinking. "Tell you what, Max... you go to the stables and pick out the horse you want us to steal, alright? I'll go and exchange a few words with the innkeeper... see if we can work out some sort of an agreement."

"Uh, right... try not to wave your pointy stick in the poor man's face, alright?" Max told her, sounding a little concerned as she walked over to the stables, Chloe walking up to the entrance into the tavern. Less than quarter of an hour later, she emerged from the Spoiled Princess with a fully stuffed backpack slung over her shoulder, grinning like a fool under her helmet.

"So, did you choose a horse for us, my Lady Maxima?" Chloe chuckled at her still nervous looking friend.

"I like this one, it seems the most placid," Max pointed at a brown mare, a Fereldan Forder snorting quietly at them. "You'll have to help me take off this armor first, though," she added, turning with her back towards Chloe so that she could undo the clasps on the heavy breastplate. Max appeared intensely relieved when a few minutes later the last piece of the heavy templar armor was discarded and she was left standing in her purple and gold trimmed Circle robes, looking adorably small and frail next to Chloe in her full templar garb.

"Alright then... let's put the operation Grand Theft Horse into action," Chloe smiled, walking over to the mare to untie it and then open the gate to lead the horse out of the little pen, holding it by the bridle. "That's a good girl... definitely an excellent choice for the less experienced riders amongst us, Max..."

"By the way, Chloe... did you actually rob the tavern as well?" Max asked, pointing at the backpack on her friend's shoulder.

"What? No!" Chloe shook her head vigorously. "Actually... you're going to laugh about this, but... I had the innkeeper put it all on Greagoir's tab. There's enough food and drink in there to last us for three days."

Despite the seriousness of their situation, Max could not stop herself from laughing and shaking her head. "Oh, Chloe..."

"I know, I know, I'm great," Chloe said, leading the softly whinnying horse out of the stables, quickly mounting the mare and taking a hold of the reigns before freeing the stirrups for Max so that she could climb on the back of the horse. The other girl quickly did so, settling in as comfortably as she could, wrapping her arms around Chloe's midriff from behind and resting her head against her friend's back.

"Ready to go and claim our freedom, Lady Maxima?" Chloe asked softly.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Chloe," Max replied. "I still think that we're crazy to even believe that this is possible... I don't know how you can make me feel this way, Chloe."

"Make you feel what way, Max?" Chloe asked.

"Like... like everything is possible... as long as we are together," Max replied quietly as Chloe slowly brought the horse up to speed, galloping away from the Spoiled Princess Inn on the road towards Crestwood.


	12. Chapter 12

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Kinloch Hold, Ferelden_

"This is simply outrageous!" Knight-Commander Greagoir roared, addressing a group of chastised looking templars in his office. His head was still heavily bandaged from a heavy blow to his temples, giving the man a massive headache that did nothing to improve his mood. "A templar attacking their own and aiding an apostate's escape, and none of you idiots suspected any wrongdoing? Who were the morons at the gate who let them leave without my written permission?"

"Knight-Templar Williams and Knight-Templar Smith," Cullen stepped forward to reply.

"And where are they now?" Greagoir snarled.

"Locked in the dungeon as per your orders, Knight-Commander," Cullen saluted.

"Good," Greagoir nodded. "Let them rot there for a month or so until they smarten up." He then gave Cullen a fierce glare. "Price was yours to instruct, Knight-Templar Cullen. Explain how this could have happened!"

"I'm sorry, Knight-Commander, but I do not have an explanation," Cullen shook his head, but the answer sought only to anger Greagoir even more. "I mean, in most ways she was a model templar, Knight-Commander. She never showed any signs of sympathizing with the mages, in fact she kept her distance from them as I had instructed her to do."

"So what are you saying?" Greagoir growled. "That Price suddenly turned insane and snapped? You have no explanations at all? Pathetic!"

"I, uh, didn't say that, Knight-Commander," Cullen replied, flinching a little, but still standing his ground. "There must be a reason why she would have done something so drastic for the sake of this particular mage. Maxine Caulfield, unless I'm wrong?" Some of the nearby templars muttered in affirmation at that. "Maybe there's a connection between them?"

"Has anyone seen them interacting while at the Circle Tower?" Greagoir asked the gathered templars, but all as one they shook their heads. "Well, so much for that idea."

"Yes, but... what if they knew each other from before the Circle?" Cullen mused. "I seem to recall that Chloe came to the Templar Order from Highever. Where was Caulfield from?"

"Hmm… by the Maker, I think she too was from Highever," Greagoir nodded, snapping his fingers as he nodded at one of his subordinates. "Run to Irving, lad, and tell him to hand over all the information he has on Caulfield. We need to learn as much as we can about her history." He turned back towards Cullen. "Good catch, Knight-Templar Cullen. It tells me that you're ready for the task that I'm about to give you."

"And that would be?" Cullen asked, the young man sounding surprised.

"It has always been a tradition of this Circle that when one of its templars commits a crime, it is their mentor who is tasked with bringing them in for justice to be administered," Greagoir spoke grimly. "Knight-Templar Cullen, I hereby charge you with tracking down Chloe Price and her apostate friend. As far as Caulfield is concerned, do not bother bringing her back; her corruption has spread too far. Kill her on the spot. As for Price... deliver her to us if possible."

"Understood, Knight-Commander," Cullen saluted once more.

"Tell me what are the first steps you plan to take when carrying out your task, Knight-Templar," Greagoir ordered.

"Well, Knight-Commander… I was thinking that we could always track Caulfield with her phylactery," Cullen said thoughtfully. "They both would know that. Chloe is a smart girl, she would realize that they have to destroy the phylactery so I suspect that they will hurry to Denerim and try to enter the chantry vault."

"Excellent thinking," Greagoir nodded. "We will dispatch a raven to warn Knight-Commander Tavish in Denerim. They could even set a trap for our two fugitives."

"I would also send another raven to the chantry of Highever," Cullen said. "They might tell us more about the past of our two fugitives and whether they were friends before Caulfield was sent to the Circle. They are of similar age, after all. It is possible that at some point they might try to reach out to their parents, as unwise as that might be."

"True. They are merely young women, irrational and probably near-hysterical," Greagoir agreed. "Good thinking, Cullen. I like your ideas so far. The replacement boat from Redcliffe will arrive tomorrow and then we can finally start this merry chase. We've lost too much time as it is."

"Knight-Commandew, if we could have a wowd?" another templar spoke up at the back of the group before stepping forward, followed by his friend, Cullen recognizing both Carroll and Hadley, sporting broken and crooked noses. "Pwice gave us wight wawwoping and bwoke our doses," Carroll spoke angrily, glaring at those who dared to chuckle at his mangled speech. "Hadwey and I want to be pawt of the hunt. We have eawned it."

"I have no objections," Greagoir shrugged. "Cullen, you will work with both Carroll and Hadley on this mission. If you need more men to apprehend our fugitives, let me know. Keep me apprised of anything you discover. Dismissed," he waved his hand and the templars slowly began to clear out of the Knight-Commander's office, Cullen one of the last to leave with a thoughtful, conflicted, but also betrayed expression on his face.

* * *

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Village of Crestwood, Ferelden_

At the end of their first day of freedom, Max and Chloe reached their destination around midnight, arriving at the village of Crestwood. Despite the lateness of the hour, they had been warmly welcomed by the innkeeper of the Rusted Horn, a tavern built atop a massive and simply breathtaking dam, holding the waters of the nearby lake at bay. Perhaps because of the amazing and unique sights that the tavern's location provided, the accommodations were not cheap, but while traveling Chloe and Max had encountered a merchant caravan on its way to Crestwood, and the merchants had implored them to accompany them as caravan guards, paying them a healthy fee at the end of their untroubled journey. This fee now came in handy to pay for their lodgings, the only room that was left to rent out, a small three by four yard space with a rather smallish single bed and some basic amenities.

The inn's kitchen had already closed for the night, so Max and Chloe made good use of the supplies Chloe had plundered from the Spoiled Princess. In fact, it made for a wonderful, almost magical experience as they both stood by the wall of the dam and shared some bread, cheese and salted nug, also uncorking a bottle of wine, the two girls wholly enjoying the forgotten sense of freedom they had not experienced in a long time. Max summoned a pair of bright magical orbs to float above their heads and provide just enough light as they stood side by side and looked on at the lights from the village down by the lakeshore, listening to the idle waves crashing against the dam in the darkness below them.

"Perhaps we should go inside now," Max eventually spoke up, after neither of them had said a word in a long while, and yet still the silence had felt deeply comforting. "I'm starting to feel the chill of the night."

"Of course," Chloe agreed with a smile, looking on as the mage lights above them winked out of the existence and the two girls then walked back towards the inn and proceeded upstairs to their room.

"I know that heading to bed and getting an early start tomorrow would probably be the smart thing to do, and yet..." Max began as she took a seat on the bed, Chloe perching down on the chair next to the small writing desk and a mirror on the wall above it. "I feel like there's a way overdue talk that we should have..."

"Probably," Chloe nodded tiredly. "I imagine you have a lot of questions..."

"Yes, I bloody well do!" Max snapped, rising from the bed, looking very animated. "Chloe... what were you thinking about, joining the templars? This is... this is so not you! You shouldn't have been in the Circle Tower, Chloe! You should have been back in Highever, with William, working the forge, living a simple, happy... a safe life!"

"I tried, Max. By the Great Mabari, I tried," Chloe half-sobbed. "But I just couldn't. I couldn't live like that, knowing that you were spending your days like a prisoner in the Circle. I had to do something... and since I couldn't just turn myself into a mage, I did the next best thing."

"Chloe, I... I understand how you must have felt, but..." Max managed, looking visibly moved by her friend's statement. "Becoming a templar was not the answer. Not a good one, at any rate. Surely you realize the kind of problems we will be facing?"

"Yeah, no kidding," Chloe muttered. "Look, I didn't know about any of that ahead of time, alright? I didn't know about the phylacteries, I didn't know about the lyrium addiction... I just wanted to see my friend again, to be with her... hopefully with us both being free."

"Oh, Chloe..." Max sighed, placing her palms on Chloe's shoulders, then hugging the other girl from behind. "We're so screwed, aren't we?"

"I don't know. Maybe? Probably," Chloe replied quietly, silently wishing that Max would never pull away from embracing her. "There's still a chance, especially if we can get to your phylactery before they do. And I'm not going to go down without a fight. Especially now that we're a team again."

"I feel the same, Chloe," Max whispered in her ear. "But even if we manage to destroy my phylactery, that wouldn't really solve your problem, right? I mean, the lyrium addiction. What can we do about that?"

"I don't know yet," Chloe admitted. "I know there are networks of people who smuggle lyrium, so maybe I could get it that way, but they'd probably ask a lot of coin for it, and we have no money."

"How difficult is it to just stop using it, I wonder?" Max asked.

"It's horrible," Chloe shuddered. "But I might have to try, anyway. I'll go down to the smallest dose possible while remaining functioning."

"Good girl," Max smiled approvingly. "But now to the most important question of them all, Chloe," she said, placing her hands on the backrest of Chloe's chair, watching the other girl's questioning expression in the mirror. "Your hair. What did you do to your hair?"

"Oh... ha-ha... Great Mabari, you won't believe this, but I actually dunked my hair into lyrium solution way back, and it's been blue like that ever since," Chloe blushed adorably as she replied. "Not really helpful when I want to remain inconspicuous, I know, but that's where being an armored bucket-head comes in handy. Besides, not that cutting my hair would make it any better, a bald woman in Ferelden would attract as much attention as a bluenette."

"You're forbidden to cut it off," Max exclaimed passionately.

"Umm... does that mean you like it?" Chloe asked, her blush deepening even more.

"It was a little hard to get used to at first, but I think I'm coming to like it a lot, Chloe," Max gushed dreamily. "For some reason, it just really fits you. It makes you so different from the other Chantry templars, they are cold and emotionless, but your appearance immediately screams that you're a real person, an individual. So yeah... I rather adore it."

"Wow... even I'm not so passionate about it," Chloe laughed awkwardly.

"May I... touch it?" Max asked hesitantly.

"Uh... sure," Chloe replied quietly.

With trepidation and slightly trembling hands, Max reached out and began to slowly run her fingers through Chloe's short-cropped blue hair, smiling shyly as she heard her beautiful friend sighing in content. At first, Max had been a little shocked by Chloe's bluenette look, especially so because that awful Harrowing experience had made her fall in love with a much more traditional looking version of Chloe, and it was how she had expected Chloe to look in the real world. But now that she was running her hands through the hair of the real Chloe, Max could not resist thinking just how much she preferred this wonderful, courageous and fearless girl who had sacrificed so much to rescue her from imprisonment, over any supposedly idealized version of Chloe that the desire demon had conjured.

"There's a part of me that still can't believe that you're real… that this is real," Max sighed, unable to take her hands away. "This… this helps."

"It's crazy, I know," Chloe said. "All this time, you had no idea what I was up to. You couldn't even know whether I was alive or not. At least I had a goal, something to strive for… I don't know how you coped in the Circle, Max. From what I saw of it, life there seemed downright terrible."

"It was a constant struggle to survive," Max nodded, finally removing her hands from Chloe's hair and lowering them on her friend's shoulders. "I had an easier time once I made some friends, but… some died in the Harrowing, one chose to become Tranquil… and the girl I shared a room with, well… you see, there was this one enchanter, a teacher we both liked and trusted, and in return he manipulated Kate with blood magic… probably made her do horrible, sickening things… before mind controlling her to jump off the top of the Circle Tower."

"Shit," Chloe swore, bringing up her hand and placing it over Max's, still resting on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Max, that must have been horrible for you. Some mages are truly fucked up, the templars are not entirely wrong about them…"

"Yeah, it's when they treat all mages the same as those few bad apples, that we have a problem," Max replied bitterly. "But yes, Enchanter Jefferson was a real piece of work. He later tried to make me ensorcelled with his blood magic… like a replacement for Kate. He would have succeeded, too, if Warren hadn't intervened. If there's one thing I'm going to miss about the Circle, it'll be Warren… he was such a dependable friend."

"Ah, that dorky looking boy who used to stare all doe-eyed at you," Chloe chuckled. "For a while I thought you two had something going on, but then I noticed him hanging out with that snarky dark haired girl."

"Yeah, umm… Warren clearly wanted to be more than my friend, but I wasn't truly interested in anything like that," Max blushed slightly.

"It's almost as if you knew that a knight in a shining templar armor was going to swoop in and rescue you from your captivity, huh?" Chloe asked with a goofy smile.

"Right, well, obviously," Max grinned back at her. "Still, I'm glad that Brooke pounced on Warren before I had to break his heart. They'll make a fine pair, I'm sure. But… enough about them, and enough about the Circle. I want to know more about what's going on in the world outside of my prison. Do you know how my mom and dad are doing? And what about William?"

"Oh… at first my dad was really against me joining the Templar Order," Chloe began her tale.

"I would have been as well," Max interrupted.

"Oh, hush you! I thought you wanted to know how our parents were doing," Chloe chided her slightly apologetic looking friend. "Anyway, I was able to eventually convince him, and he's become real proud of me once I was granted the full rank of Knight-Templar. Not sure how he's going to take the news that I've deserted, though… then again, he is the only one who knows that I joined the Order only because I… well, wanted to be with you."

"Oh, Chloe…" Max sighed softly, lowering her head and resting her cheek against the top of Chloe's head. "And what about my mom and dad? How have they been, do you know?"

"Yeah, I'm always asking dad about your parents in my letters," Chloe replied. "Oh, Max, they were so sad after you were taken by the templars… while I was still in Highever, they coped by throwing themselves into their work, and as I understand from my dad not much has changed in that regard."

"I wish we could go and visit them… but that probably wouldn't be wise, right?" Max's voice turned to deeply wistful.

"Probably not," Chloe sighed. "It won't take the templars long to figure out that we still have families in Highever, so if we go back there we might be heading into a trap."

"And we need to get to Denerim fast," Max spoke, finally removing her hands and stepping away.

"Early start, so we should be well rested," Chloe added reluctantly, clearly unwilling to let this evening come to an end, their first day together after so many years of separation.

"Yeah," Max appeared similarly reluctant to call it a night. "I guess that means bedtime."

"Indeed," Chloe nodded. She then broke into a fond smile, turning to face Max. "It'll be just like one of the many sleepovers at your place, do you still remember those? The crazy pirate stories we used to come up with…"

"Ha-ha, yeah, the amazing adventures of two awesome pirate queens who bore a striking and curious resemblance to idealized versions of ourselves," Max grinned, starting to unbutton her robe, Chloe rising from her seat and coming over to help with the buttons on the back, the garment eventually sliding down Max's shoulders to pool at her feet, and she stepped out of it wearing nothing but her light undergarments. "Just promise not to tickle me the way you did when we were both just kids. These days my reaction might be to set the bed and possibly us both on fire."

"Ouch, point taken," Chloe chuckled, feeling her throat become a little dry as she watched the scantily clad form of Max walking up to the bed and then disappearing under the blankets. With slightly trembling hands, Chloe quickly discarded her shirt and pants, then quickly slipping under the blankets, finding herself almost face to face with a deeply blushing Max, the bed only slightly larger than a simple cot for a single person.

"Sooo… hey," Max winked at her. "Well, this is going to be… interesting."

"Tell me about it," Chloe managed in reply. It wasn't that she was shy about touching Max or anything, she simply was not sure if she could ever bring herself to think of sleep if Max's naked legs ended up tangled with hers, and it seemed as if her friend felt the same way. "Oh… don't tell me…" she suddenly exclaimed, reaching out to take a hold of the thin silver chain hanging around Max's neck, the other girl freezing as she did so, unsure of what Chloe was doing, but never moving to resist as Chloe simply tugged at the chain until she had pulled out the locket attached to it, hiding behind Max's undershirt. "Great Mabari… I can't believe you're still wearing that thing, Max…" Chloe sighed, feeling a strange warmth spreading throughout her.

"Of course I would be, Chloe," Max whispered back to her. "Surely you didn't think I would ever forget about you?"

"I… had hoped not," Chloe barely managed to reply without allowing the emotions to get the better of her and make her dissolve in tears.

"That's simply never going to happen," Max spoke softly. "And Chloe… I know that our newly gained freedom might be short-lived, but… still, I wanted to thank you for busting me out of the Circle. Come what may, I would rather meet my fate as a free woman, with you standing by my side."

"Oh, Max…" finally it became too much for Chloe and she broke into sobs, reaching out and pulling Max into her embrace, Max hugging her back just as fiercely and passionately, sobbing into Chloe's shoulder. "They're not going to stop us now that we're back together, my Lady Maxima," she whispered, feeling more and more confident about their chances the more she repeated these words to herself.

_I will give everything I can to carve out as many days as this with you, my dearest Max_ , Chloe thought to herself, just before they both drifted off to sleep, exhausted and relieved by the tears they had shared.


	13. Chapter 13

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_King's Road, Ferelden_

Having enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the Rusted Horn, Max and Chloe made sure to make a brief stop at the small marketplace of Crestwood to spend the last of their meager funds in order to procure basic camping supplies, Chloe suspecting that at some point during their flight, having a sleeping tent would come in handy. Following their brief excursion to the otherwise unremarkable rural Fereldan village, the pair set out on the road yet again, well aware that in the early spring the days were still short before the darkness set in, and they needed to squeeze out as much as they could from the favorable conditions.

Still, despite the necessity to make haste, Chloe made sure to stop every couple of hours during the journey to let Max get off the horse and walk around a bit to stretch her legs. As an inexperienced rider, at the end of the day Max was still certain to get painful saddle sores, but Chloe wanted to do whatever she could to make her friend more comfortable on this ride through a typical landscape of Ferelden farmland, boring rolling plains of green pastures, separated by strips of forest. At this time of year, the grass was still covered in places by patches of rapidly melting snow, the trees all stood leafless and everything appeared grey and wet from the near constant sleet pouring from the skies.

As soon as the sky began to darken in the late afternoon, Chloe immediately started to look around for a decent place to camp, knowing that she would probably be unable to locate a good spot once the sky had darkened completely. Geography of Thedas had been one of the classes she had actually enjoyed back at the Denerim chantry, and as a result she had a pretty good mental image of the map of Ferelden in her head. Chloe knew that there were only a few tiny villages along the King's Road from Crestwood to Denerim, and so it seemed that they would be forced to set up camp in these less than pleasant weather conditions.

Eventually, as the sky had nearly darkened completely, the sleet mercifully halted, allowing Chloe to spot a large outcropping of rocks surrounded on both sides by copses of trees, providing just the sort of protection from prying eyes that Chloe had been looking for. The horse neighed in protest as Chloe pulled the reins to force it off the beaten path, but the animal obeyed her firm command, quickly bringing her and Max to the campsite Chloe had chosen for them. Max tied the horse to a nearby tree and slipped on the nosebag filled with oats, their patient steed immediately starting to chew gratefully on its food. In the meantime, following some initial struggles, Chloe had managed to set up the tent, then together with Max gathering some wet firewood, which was swiftly dried and then set aflame with Max's fire magic, allowing them to get a campfire going and it immediately made them both perk up as they sat side by side at the entrance of the tent and watched the flames rise and play while chewing on their cold meal and sharing a mug of hot tea.

"Do you know where exactly are we, Chloe?" Max asked quietly once they had finished eating. "And if you're going to say 'on the King's Road', I'm going to give you a deeply disapproving glare," she added with a wink.

"Damn, but that's all I have, Maxima," Chloe chuckled, wiping away the breadcrumbs that had landed on her lap. "Alright... I figure that if we were to turn straight north, we would hit Highever. Didn't want to mention that, but since you asked..."

"Yeah," Max frowned. "Well, it's not like we can go and visit now, can we?"

"Not really," Chloe nodded. "And you know why. I'm sorry, Max," she added, having heard her friend grumbling unhappily.

"I understand why we need to hurry to Denerim, Chloe," Max smiled at her.

"Yeah..." Chloe replied. "Ugh, and I just realized something really unpleasant. One of us will have to stand guard while the other sleeps. Damn."

"Not necessarily," Max grinned, rising from her seat and looking down at the slightly surprised Chloe. "You just can't really think of me as a mage, can you?" she chuckled, allowing the energies of the Fade flow through her, igniting her fingertips with cold, blue flame. "But that is who I am. And fortunately, my magic can help us," Max said, walking around the perimeter of their little camp and inscribing the ground with magical glyphs that faded from view moments after the spell had been cast.

"Oh, right..." Chloe slapped an open palm against her forehead. "You can cast protective wards. I forgot mages could do that... I'm such a great templar, aren't I?" Max merely chuckled and finished inscribing a protective circle of runes surrounding their little campsite before returning to take her place by Chloe's side.

"There, now we can both enjoy a good night's sleep," Max spoke. "Anyone trying to jump us will be put into stasis and jolted by lightning. Neat, huh?"

"You're the best, my Maxima," Chloe smiled at her friend, placing her arm around Max's shoulders. "And you're right... it's just a little strange to see you casting magical spells. It's just... not how I remember you, you know? I'll get used to it, though. And you seem to be really good at what you're doing."

"Don't you think it's super weird for me to see you in the templar armor, Chloe?" Max looked up at her.

"A fair point, Max," Chloe nodded. "Probably even weirder, because it was all dropped on you so suddenly."

"No kidding..." Max replied thoughtfully. "When I saw you at the Circle Tower after all these years... you know, a part of me had already accepted my life in captivity, and suddenly it has all been turned upside down on its head. It's just... not easy to get used to the fact that everything has changed again."

"I, uh... maybe I shouldn't have stepped into that chapel..." Chloe sighed gloomily. "I keep trying to help, but sometimes I feel like I just keep making things worse..."

"Are you kidding?" Max asked in disbelief, giving her friend a stern stare. "I never said that you rescuing me from the Circle was a bad thing! I thought I'd made it clear that this day and a half of freedom with you has meant more than those five years I spent chained up in the Circle Tower. Whatever comes next, I will remain forever grateful that you allowed me to experience freedom once again."

"Well... umm, that's good then," Chloe managed an awkward smile, squeezing Max's shoulders in a tighter hug.

"How are you feeling, Chloe?" Max asked a good while of comfortable silence later. Chloe looked down at her with a questioning stare, prompting Max to elaborate. "I meant with... you know, the lyrium."

"Oh..." Chloe blinked, then reaching into the pouch at her belt and withdrawing a thin blue vial, perhaps two thirds full. "I should be alright for today without taking any. If I split the rest into two parts, I could probably last for three more days."

"And what then?" Max asked.

"I don't know," Chloe admitted. "But I imagine it won't be pleasant. I suspect that I might not make for the greatest company once I start going into withdrawal..." Max gave her a slightly worried stare at that, making the older girl try and force a brave smile on her lips. "Hey, I might be able to grab some lyrium while breaking into the chantry vaults for your phylactery."

"Yeah... I still don't like that plan," Max grumbled unhappily. "Even if I understand why we have to go through with it."

"Err... minor correction, **_I_** have to go through with it, Max," Chloe shook her head gently. "I can't let you go anywhere near the Denerim chantry, Max. It's crawling with templars, and any one of them could render you helpless by dampening your magic... and they would do so as soon as they see you."

"If you think I'm going to let you run off on your own-..." Max began to protest, but she was doing so only half-heartedly, the expression in her eyes suggesting that she knew perfectly well that Chloe was right in this instance.

"Max, you know that this will only succeed if I can get into the vault undetected. A single templar will not appear too suspicious, but a single templar together with someone who clearly looks like an escaped apostate... yeah, that's going to get the templar anthill swarming," Chloe clicked her tongue. "We'll find some inconspicuous tavern in the slums where you can lay low until I get the phylactery."

"Ugh... I'm going to be sick from worry," Max sighed, wincing. "What if the templars already know that you might be trying something like that? What if they have set up a trap?"

"I doubt it," Chloe shrugged. "They couldn't have overtaken us on the road."

"Well, they could have sent a raven," Max pointed out.

"Perhaps..." Chloe admitted, cursing inwardly. She had completely forgotten about the cages of messenger birds at the top of the tower. Not that she would have had the heart to kill the poor birdies just to make sure the templars could not send a message. "Still, it's a chance that we have to take. We're not going to get far without the phylactery or the lyrium."

"I hate it when you're right..." Max grumbled, finally surrendering the argument and lowering her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"Max?" Chloe asked a while later, almost hating to interrupt the blissful sensation of their physical closeness.

"Mhm?" Max responded with a sleepy purr.

"You've been studying magic for almost five years at the Circle," Chloe said thoughtfully. "Did you ever discover where your strange abilities come from? You know, those strange bursts that have saved my life twice now..."

"Nope," Max replied. "It's all a big mystery."

"How often does that happen with you, anyway?" Chloe continued to inquire.

"Only on those two occasions, Chloe."

"Whoa... that makes me feel really special," the bluenette chuckled.

"That's because you **_are_** special, Chloe," Max replied simply, Chloe feeling her heart as if melting from the genuine affection in the other girl's voice.

"As are you, my Maxima," she replied, having quickly swallowed the lump of emotions in her throat. "You know... our instructors also taught us a lot about mages and how magic works... and about the influence of the Fade demons. I was just wondering... what's it like for you? Is it something you have to constantly fight against?"

"Well, it's not like I constantly hear some voices at the back of my mind," Max began to explain. "But whenever I tap into the Fade to channel my magic... or whenever I step into the Fade in my dreams... there are often whispers, sometimes more insistent and bothersome, sometimes not as annoying. Promises of great power, ancient secrets, you know... all that crap they warned us about."

"Our instructors warned us that mages are the most vulnerable when backed into a corner, because they feel like they have nothing to lose so they become willing to trade everything they have to the demons in exchange for extra power to help them survive," Chloe remarked.

"Sure, that's probably how it goes," Max agreed.

"I'm just wondering..." Chloe mused. "Those times when you saved my life by casting that strange magic... did you hear or sense anything that felt off? I mean... I'm just worried that your weird reality altering magic might have something to do with the demons."

Max removed her head from Chloe's shoulder and straightened herself as she stared at the brightly burning flames of the campfire. "I guess it's not an unreasonable concern," she eventually admitted. "But no, that magic did not come to me because I made a deal with some demon, Chloe. That's the honest truth."

"I believe you, Max," Chloe smiled at her friend.

"That said... if I was in a position where saving you depended on making a deal with a demon..." Max spoke grimly. "I probably wouldn't hesitate…"

"What? No! You… you must never do that!" Chloe protested, visibly upset. "You would risk becoming a snarling, gargling abomination? Max, you would no longer be yourself! I wouldn't even **_want_** to survive in a world without you!"

"Chloe, I…"

"Shush, Max, I'm not done ranting!" Chloe argued passionately, refusing to back down. "I mean, just think about what you're saying! If you lose yourself to the demons, I… I might be the one who has to slay the abomination that you would become. I… I'm not even sure I could do it, or would even care to do it. I would probably allow that abomination to tear me apart…"

"I…" Max lowered her eyes, also appearing distraught by the mental image that Chloe had conjured. "You're right, Chloe. In your place, I would feel the same way. Even if I'm sure that your first instinct would also be to do everything you can to save me… even something very drastic and possibly unwise."

"Yeah," Chloe admitted. "If I hadn't thought about the consequences of surrendering to the demons, I'd probably do it in a heartbeat if your life depended on it, Max. But the more I think about it, the more I start to feel that if I were to be saved through such a horrific sacrifice, I probably wouldn't be able to move on with my life."

"Yes, I just realized the same," Max sighed. "But those damned demons can be kind of sneaky. When I'm facing some kind of a threat, those whispers immediately grow louder and try to convince me that I have no other means to protect myself than by surrendering control to a demon. But you are right… I must not give in, because instead of saving you, I would simply submit you to horrors worse than death."

"Exactly," Chloe nodded, relieved at the understanding in her friend's voice. "So no deals with demons, Max. That's a promise, right?"

"Definitely," Max nodded, lowering her head on Chloe's shoulder again and pressing closer against her side to make them both feel significantly warmer. "We'll see this through without any aid from demons…"

* * *

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Denerim, Capital of Ferelden_

It took them two more days to reach the capital of Ferelden, arriving in Denerim on a late afternoon of the second day. With Max a wide-eyed newcomer to the capital, Chloe was left to play the guide, leading them both through the slums and trying to find some tavern to stay at, hopefully one that was not too disgusting and rundown, within a walking distance of the Denerim chantry. There was the problem with no coin whatsoever lining their pockets, but Max and Chloe managed to solve it by sheer luck when during their journey through the slums, they encountered a group of muggers, trying to rob them.

While normally such an encounter would never be described as a stroke of good fortune, in this case it was exactly that, for Chloe easily decked one of the thugs, while Max froze the other two with her ice magic. Having knocked out the three bandits, Chloe and Max then proceeded to rob the robbers, walking away with almost ten sovereigns that gave them significant financial freedom.

Once they had found an inn and settled into their shared room, Chloe left Max behind to do some washing up of their clothes and hurried to make some emergency purchases at the nearby shops, unsure of how much time if any they would have on shopping following her attempt to break into the chantry vault. They had abandoned the Circle Tower with nothing save for the clothes on their backs, so Chloe spent a couple of sovereigns on a change of undergarments for herself and Max, as well as on many other basic necessities on the mental checklist they had compiled while on the road.

With Max back at the tavern, desperately trying to distract herself with various small errands in preparation of a hasty departure from Denerim, Chloe left the premises at the fall of the night to make the short walk over to the marketplace district where the chantry and the templar barracks were located. Chloe still felt delightfully high from the much tighter hug she and Max had parted with, urgency and desperation flowing forth from them both, Chloe silently swearing to herself to do everything she could to accomplish her goals as quickly as possible, eager to return to her beloved friend and save her from prolonged torturous suffering from uncertainty.

Her first test came at the doors of the chantry, two templars guarding the front entrance. With the fall of the night, public access to the Andrastian place of worship was denied, but the templars did not even seem to bat an eyelid when Chloe approached them, removed her helmet and offered an easygoing smile, announcing that she was on urgent business from Knight-Commander Greagoir. Much to Chloe's relief and surprise, having granted her entrance into the chantry, the two templars left her alone, returning to their guard posts and giving her the freedom to explore.

Some of the Chantry sisters were still up and about, but being used to templars coming and going as they pleased, none of them paid her any attention whatsoever as Chloe passed them by, heading straight for the passageway leading away from the main hall, branching off to the different wings of the chantry. Chloe chose the corridor that led her down into the basement of the place of Andrastian worship, the young woman eventually coming up against a large metal gate, barring her passage.

"Yeah, yeah, what is it," a grumpy templar grumbled, emerging from a small side room adjacent to the hallway, having heard Chloe banging on the metal gate. "Yes?" he asked, giving Chloe a blank stare.

"Knight-Templar Chloe Price from the Ferelden Circle of Magi," Chloe announced herself officially. "Here on the orders of Knight-Commander Greagoir to retrieve the phylactery of an escaped mage."

"Oh yeah?" the older templar gave her a suspicious glare, but then seemed to relax. "Right, Price, I think I remember you by your hair. Apostate problems, you say? Don't suppose Greagoir gave you some papers or anything? I can't give you the phylactery just because you ask nicely."

"The apostate attacked the Knight-Commander before escaping," Chloe replied, without missing a beat, having already prepared her story beforehand. "He was in no condition to give any written orders. Now please, I need to get that phylactery. The apostate on the run is incredibly dangerous!"

"Well, umm… sure, lass, I'd love to help, but… I need permission from Knight-Commander Tavish if I'm to give you the phylactery without any papers from Greagoir. I don't really want to lose my head over this, you know?"

"Of course, I wouldn't want to get you in any trouble," Chloe replied obediently, inwardly cursing her luck.

"Won't take long," the templar unlocked the gate, stepped outside, and then locked it again before hurrying off to find Tavish in the barracks.

_It's now or never,_ Chloe thought to herself once she could no longer hear the sounds of footsteps in the corridor. She brought up her sword and began to mercilessly slash at the lock, and following considerable effort that left her arm seriously starting to hurt, the lock finally gave in and fell to the floor with a loud clang, the gate opening to grant her access to the vault.

Chloe quickly passed through the gate and walked further down the passageway, towards another door leading into the vault itself, fully expecting it to be locked as well, but then blinking in surprise when she tugged on the door handle and it gave way, allowing her to enter. _Whoa, that's… unexpected! It's almost as if the stars are in some kind of a crazy alignment to bring me the best of luck!_ Her internal cheering quickly died down when she stepped into the vault, letting out a sigh upon being confronted with several massive cabinets, all of them containing dozens and dozens of phylacteries. _Well, shit. How am I supposed to find Max's phylactery in time?_

_Right, Chloe… don't panic,_ she told herself, trying to calm down. _Surely there has to be some kind of a system to their storage, right? Max's phylactery was probably one of the last to be sent here… let's see if there's a shelf that's only half full… ah-hah!_ She walked over to one of the cabinets, starting to examine the phylacteries and noticing little bronze plaques underneath each of them, starting to read the names of the mages. _Brooke Scott… Warren Graham… sounds familiar… Maxine Caulfield! There we… hey, wait? Where's the phylactery? It's not here!_

With cold panic gripping her heart, Chloe stood like frozen, staring at the empty space where Max's phylactery was supposed to rest in a small carved wooden box. She never moved until hearing heavy footsteps behind her, quickly swirling around to stare into the face of Knight-Commander Tavish, accompanied by two other templars.

"Welcome back to Denerim, Knight-Templar Price," he said with a slightly smug smile. "Unfortunately for you, my dear girl, a raven from Kinloch Hold arrived late last night..."


	14. Chapter 14

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Denerim, Capital of Ferelden_

Chloe stood at the door of her cell in the dungeon under the templar barracks, her gauntleted hands firmly gripping the bars and every now and then desperately trying to dislodge them, all to no avail. Every waking moment of her imprisonment was spent either in becoming more and more angry for stepping into the templar trap that she should have expected, or feeling sickened when she allowed her imagination to supply her with mental images of the templars using the phylactery to track down Max in the tavern they were staying at, surrounding the place and then apprehending her friend, probably deeming her too dangerous to be taken alive and just killing Max where she stood.

_I had to come here and try to get the phylactery, there was no way around that,_ Chloe argued with herself internally. _But I had no right to fail and get captured! I let Max down, and now she's going to pay for my failure with her life. Not that... not that a different fate awaits me. Attacking my fellow templars and aiding in the escape of a Circle mage... hopefully they'll just hang me and be done with it._

A moment of blind rage at the unfairness of it all came over Chloe and she began to shake the bars with increased fervor, but still they refused to budge, Chloe eventually sinking down to her knees, her rage instantly replaced with utter hopelessness and despair as she began to sob quietly, weeping like she hadn't done since very young age. Only when her tears began to subside and she had collected herself a little, did Chloe suddenly overhear strange sounds coming from the corridor leading down to the cells. It seemed like someone was approaching the dungeon, but they were doing so very slowly, with elaborate shuffling steps. Chloe quickly rose to her feet and wiped the moistness away from her cheeks as best as she could, trying to spot just who was moving towards her in the dark passageway, letting out a brief gasp when she saw a grizzled, scar-crossed face appearing in the sparse light provided by the sole torch on the wall.

"Samuel?" Chloe looked on in disbelief as the old, lyrium-addled templar hobbled over to her cell and remained standing there, staring thoughtfully at her. "Samuel... why are you here?"

"No... no," Samuel shook his head, thick, slightly dirty and unkempt grey hair falling into his eyes. "The question is... why are you here, young Chloe?"

"Oh, Samuel," Chloe sighed. She seriously doubted that there was any point in explaining anything to Samuel, but in this very moment, she was simply grateful to have anyone as a listener. "I'm here because I helped to save the life of a friend... and I wasn't supposed to do so, because it stood against the very principles of what being a templar means."

"Ah... Samuel understands," the old veteran spoke up, Chloe smiling, even if she didn't believe that Samuel truly understood what she had told him. However, the old templar's next words would stun Chloe where she stood. "It doesn't seem fair, does it? We should always help our friends... even if they are mages..."

"What?" Chloe gasped, wide-eyed as she stared at Samuel. "How did you know?"

"The squirrels told me," Samuel nodded at her, tapping conspiringly at the tip of his crooked nose. "They're really smart and they know everything. Tell me... have you seen them around, young Chloe?"

"I, uh... I'm afraid I haven't seen the squirrels, Samuel," Chloe replied honestly. "But I'm glad they're there for you," she added with a smile, feeling pity for the old man.

"So kind... you were always kind, young Chloe," Samuel nodded approvingly. "You were the only one who didn't make fun out of me and the squirrels. You, and that nice Cullen lad... I hope he's doing well."

"He is a good templar, Samuel," Chloe sniffed, suddenly realizing that Cullen would probably be amongst the group of templars dispatched from Kinloch Hold to capture her and Max. Not that it mattered anymore, their foolish little crusade had come to an abrupt end here in Denerim.

"Yes... yes, very true. I think that you're a good person, young Chloe... and the squirrels agree," Samuel smiled, Chloe's eyes widening almost impossibly as she watched the old templar suddenly producing an ornate silver key and placing it into the keyhole, turning it to open the doors of her cell. "And good people should not be in prison," he added, allowing Chloe to step out of her cell.

"Samuel, I... I don't know how to thank you," Chloe said softly, looking at the old man who had showed her this unexpected kindness.

"You already have thanked me, young Chloe," Samuel replied. "But Samuel can help you even more. Here..." he said, offering her a thin blue vial, filled with lyrium, enough to sustain Chloe for up to four days. "You will need this."

"I wish I didn't..." Chloe sighed, taking the offered vial. "Thanks, Samuel."

"The squirrels have more advice, young Chloe, if you're willing to listen," Samuel added before she had left.

"I'd be a complete idiot not to," Chloe smiled. "Tell me, Samuel, what do the wise and powerful squirrels have to tell me."

"Your weapons are in the storeroom at the end of the corridor," Samuel said. "Also, don't use the main entrance, young Chloe. Leave through the kitchens, and you might remain unnoticed. Now go with all haste... and you may yet save your friend."

Chloe was about to leave, but then in a moment of sudden impulsiveness she turned around and briefly hugged the surprised Samuel, then rushing down the corridor to grab her confiscated weapons before seeking the shortest path to the kitchens. She had presumed correctly that in her situation, sneaking around and trying to avoid detection would arouse more suspicion, so instead she simply tried to walk around in a confident step as if she belonged here, counting on not being recognized in her full armor, similar to all the other templars. The hour was very late, perhaps two or three hours after midnight, so she only encountered two of her fellows, exchanging casual nods of the head. It didn't take long for Chloe to reach the empty kitchens and then quickly flee through the exit, running all the way back to the tavern where she had left Max.

Much to her relief, the tavern still stood there and had not been burned down in a destructive confrontation between the templars and a desperate apostate on the run. In fact, neither the outside of the inn nor its interior bore any signs of recent conflict, so wondering just what had happened a still breathless Chloe proceeded up the stairs to the room she was sharing with Max, entering it to find her friend pale and almost shaking with fear, poised as if ready to blast her with the most powerful spell at her disposal. As soon as Max realized that it was Chloe entering, she immediately launched herself at her friend, hugging the bluenette like a desperate madwoman.

"By the Great Mabari, Chloe, where were you? What happened? I thought I was going to lose my mind from worrying too much!" Max exclaimed, still continuing to shake as they stood embraced.

"Sorry, Max... sorry about getting you so worked up," Chloe hugged her friend back. "I'm not sure we have the time for me to explain, though. We need to go, now."

"We're ready to go," Max pointed at the two prepared backpacks resting at the foot of their bed that would remain unused. Having expected that they might be forced to leave the capital in a hurry following Chloe's attempt to enter the chantry vault, Max had carefully arranged their spare clothing, blankets, rations and other supplies, but the urgency in Chloe's voice still unsettled her. "Did you... did you get it?" she asked in a trembling voice, obviously referring to her phylactery.

"No... fuck, no I didn't," Chloe replied with her eyes downcast, Max paling in fear at the admission. "They had already removed it from the vault, and I headed straight into a trap, as we both strongly suspected. An unexpected friend in the barracks helped me escape, and I ran straight back, fearing that they would have already taken you... but Max, now you know why we must hurry!"

"They could be here at any moment," Max nodded in sudden realization, moving to grab one of the backpacks and holding out the other bag for Chloe. "Let's go!"

With only thoughts of escape on their mind, the pair rushed down the stairs, through the empty common room and then towards the stables next to the tavern, finding their 'borrowed' mare well fed and watered, ready to take them away from the capital. Without any further delays, the two girls quickly mounted the horse, Max wrapping her arms around Chloe's waist from behind as the horse galloped through the narrow streets of the capital's slums, eventually bringing them to and past the city gates, both fugitives finally daring to let out the breaths they had been holding once the gates were already out of view behind their backs.

"Chloe?" Max asked as her friend finally allowed the horse to slow down to a slower trot. "Where are we heading? They're just going to track us down with the phylactery! Maybe... maybe you should just leave me and flee..."

"Only useful plans please, Max," Chloe replied sternly. "You know I'd never agree to something like that." Max's only response to that was silence. "Anyway... I think our only hope is to get across the Waking Sea. It might at least buy us some time."

"City of Amaranthine, then?" Max asked. "But a passage on a ship to the Free Marches is going to cost a lot more than what we have!"

"Yeah, exactly," Chloe nodded. "That's why I think we should go to Jader in Orlais. This way we can make a stop along the way and borrow some money..."

"Borrow? What do you mean?" Max wondered, then gasping as she realized what Chloe had meant. "Oh... you mean... from the savings of our parents? Oh... I would so love to go to Highever, risky as it might be. I... I would love to see mom and dad, if only for one last time, to say my farewells..."

"If it wasn't for the practical reasons of needing coin, I would not yield to the sentimental wish to see my dad one last time," Chloe replied. "I mean... we could be walking into a yet another trap. But... there aren't many other options that I can see. I suppose we could try to find some rich noble and rob them blind..."

"I'd rather not add to the list of crimes the templars are already accusing us of," Max argued.

"Trust me, at this point even burning down some noble's household wouldn't make our position any worse," Chloe chuckled bitterly. "Oh, and I have more not so great news in store for us, Max. The templars should by now be on their way from Kinloch Hold, and they would be taking the King's Road."

"And we don't want to run into them," Max finished.

"We definitely don't want that," Chloe replied. "And then there are the templars in Denerim who actually have the phylactery. If we stand any chance of losing them, we need to stay away from the major roads."

"That means trudging through wilderness, right?"

"Exactly," Chloe nodded. "I hope this horse is good at picking its path, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose all my sense of direction and get us both hopelessly lost..."

"Yeah, don't look at me for guidance," Max replied. "But if we're going to get lost, at least we'll be getting lost together."

"It seems almost absurd to find solace in such a statement..." Chloe said, shaking her head as they continued to ride at a steady pace down the road leading away from the capital. "And yet, somehow it does make me feel slightly better..."

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Knight-Captain Rylock ranted, red in the face as she paced around the office of Knight-Commander Tavish, pointing at the glowing phylactery on his desk. "You had the phylactery right here all this time, pointing at an apostate mage nearby, and yet still you refused to act? What would our superiors think of that, Tavish?"

"You forget your place, Knight-Captain Rylock," the Knight-Commander snapped angrily at his second in command. "You are welcome to report this to whomever you wish, but any investigation will find that I have merely followed the request of a fellow Knight-Commander to allow his people to handle the matter. Oh... and should you decide to lodge a complaint against me, I will be forced to draw attention to the fact that your past eleven missions to safely recover young magically gifted children whose abilities have just manifested have all ended in tragic disasters. I mean, we both know just why you're so eager to go after this escaped apostate. You want to see her bleed."

"Her and Price, both," Rylock nodded without hesitation. "To think that bitch of a traitor sat in my classes, went on missions with me, and still nothing that I taught her seems to have stuck."

"I'm not sure whether to be saddened or relieved about that," Tavish muttered under his breath. "In any case, I'm more concerned about Price's escape from the dungeon. She couldn't have done that without aid from the inside. I would rather have you handle that investigation, Knight-Captain."

"Who cares about that!" Rylock spat. "You've got the phylactery! Find the apostate, and you'll find Price with her!"

"I gave you a direct order, Knight-Captain Rylock," Tavish growled. "Your job is to find the traitor amongst us. How could you possibly consider that unimportant?"

"Knight-Commander Tavish, you are unlawfully standing in my way of carrying out our sacred duty!" Rylock snapped back, actually daring to reach out and trying to grab the phylactery, Tavish quickly pocketing it and not allowing the Knight-Captain to take it. "Have it your way, Tavish. I don't need a phylactery to track down two lost and confused girls. Sooner or later they're going to be running back to their parents in Highever," she said with determination, turning around to leave the office.

"Knight-Captain, if you leave these barracks without my official sanction, you will be declared traitor to the Order, same as Chloe Price," Tavish warned.

"My loyalty is not to a commander who spends most of his time whoring and boozing at the Pearl," Rylock angrily fired off her parting shot before leaving. "No... my utmost loyalty is to the Maker..."

"Oh, great... she's finally lost it," Tavish sighed, shaking his head as he continued to sit at his desk, looking tired and lost in thought. "Well... I suppose it was just a matter of time before Rylock snapped completely..."

* * *

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_King's Road, Ferelden_

"We should be in Denerim around noon tomorrow," Cullen announced to his two fellow templars while adding more firewood to the campfire, the three of them sitting on fallen logs around the fire. "Let us hope that Knight-Commander Tavish won't invent some unnecessary obstacles before handing the phylactery over to us."

"He won't," Carroll shrugged. "He respects Greagoir too much."

"I hope you're right," Cullen nodded. "We should also have a raven from Highever waiting for us with more information about the connection between Price and Caulfield."

"Why do even really care about that, Cullen?" Carroll asked, exchanging a quick glance with the third templar, Hadley. "It seems kind of irrelevant. We track down those two little bitches and deal with them. Matter settled."

"I feel like I owe it to Chloe to figure out why she has done something like this," Cullen sighed. "You may not understand it... but before this incident, I considered her a friend. And if we discover that they knew each other from before the Circle and still have their families back in Highever, it might be worth asking the local Highever templars to set up a discreet watch of their parents. Perhaps the girls will decide to stop by for a visit."

"Whatever," Hadley snorted. "I just want to get my hands on that phylactery and start our merry little chase. It's been ages since I've taken part in a good hunt. Damn, the thrill is... something else!"

"We're not supposed to derive joy from our grim duty," Cullen frowned at Hadley.

"Well, you may not, but I sure will," Hadley shrugged. "Remember, your girlfriend messed up both Carroll's face and mine. I think we're entitled to collect on that."

"Forget that," Cullen shook his head sternly. "Remember... after Chloe had knocked you all out, you were at her mercy and she could have easily killed all three of you, including the Knight-Commander, if she had wanted to. Yet she stayed her hand. For that alone, we should act even-tempered."

"I suppose that's a fair point, Cullen," Carroll smiled, giving Hadley another brief stare. "I guess that means you're serious about dragging Price back to the Circle Tower alive?"

"Absolutely," Cullen nodded with certainty. "Are we going to have a problem over this, friends?"

"Of course not, Cullen," Carroll replied quickly, looking over at Hadley with a meaningful glance. "Right, Hadley?"

"Right," the other templar agreed with a nod. "No problems at all. None whatsoever."


	15. Chapter 15

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_The Coastland Wilderness, Ferelden_

On the fourth day since their escape from Denerim, Max and Chloe found themselves traversing the rough terrain of the Fereldan coastland, neither of them entirely sure of their location and how far it was to Highever. Fortunately they were not completely lost. One of the reasons why Chloe had suggested to travel alongside the coast was that they could use the Waking Sea as a guide in their journey westwards to Highever. There were plenty of other considerations behind this decision as well, for example, the lowlands closer to the King's Road were so flat that on a clear and sunny day, there would be nowhere to hide if someone were to spot them. Traveling the coast basically involved constant climbing and descending the steep hills and crags that shaped the coastline, which meant that progress was slow but at least the rugged landscape offered them some protection. The rocky coastline was covered mostly with gnarled, wind-twisted evergreens, creating a view of breathtaking and wild beauty that Max simply could not get enough of, especially now that the days kept growing longer, the sun crawled out from behind the clouds far more often to melt the last patches of snow, and the entire land around them seemed to be waking up, green and vibrant, putting the two fugitives in a more hopeful and optimistic mood.

Another useful, though slightly tricky aspect of choosing to travel along the coast was the danger that it presented in shape of both wild animals that roamed the land in abundance, as well as the ever present bandits, smugglers and pirates, taking advantage of the fact that nobody really cared to extend the arm of the Fereldan law to this abandoned corner of the land. The animals were of little threat to Chloe and Max, mostly because of Max's magic which scared off most of the fuzzy nuisances almost instantly. They had heard and seen packs of wolves circling them, hoping to pick them off in a moment of carelessness, but once a few of the wolves had been trapped and electrocuted by Max's glyphs, the wolves decided to give the two girls a wide berth. Bears were also quite common, but mostly it just took Max to summon some magical flames, and the bears turned around and fled, save for one occasion when an overly curious black bear had wandered into their camp and started going through Chloe's backpack. Max had set the bear's short little tail on fire, sending the hapless thief rolling down the hillside and then scampering off.

The pair occasionally had to turn away from the coast and proceed more inland in hopes of coming across a farmstead where they could parlay for supplies of food. Out in the wilderness, the pair were unable to truly sustain themselves, simply because they could not hunt for food. Chloe's armor was far too heavy and she had no ranged weapons at her disposal to ever manage to kill some animal, and while Max could have used her magic to capture a ram or a stray nug, neither of them felt too comfortable or confident about what to do with the dead animal after it had been killed. Certainly, if push came to shove, Max knew that she would kill and eat to survive whatever they could get their hands on, perhaps even the very same wolves who had tried to hunt them, but she was still grateful that Chloe did not insist on her using magic to kill, even animals.

There were other reasons for now and then stopping by the nearby farmsteads. Max's mage robes and Chloe's templar armor had been useful only during the timeframe before the templars in Denerim found out about their escape from Kinloch Hold, but now they became easy means to identify them and aid in tracking them down, if Max's phylactery didn't give the templars a big edge already. They needed to get rid of their outfits and exchange them for something else that would not scream 'an apostate and a rogue templar'. In one of the farmsteads they had visited, Max managed to acquire a pair of brown leather pants together with a matching leather vest, remnant of the farmer's days of adventuring. Having worn only robes for the past five years, Max rather enjoyed the feel of the leather pants and the snug vest, but she found that most of all she enjoyed the occasional little stares that Chloe gave her when she thought that Max wasn't looking.

As for Chloe, she still hadn't been able to find a replacement for her templar armor, hoping to acquire some sort of a chain or scale mail that would be slightly lighter than her plate, but would still provide decent protection while allowing her to move around more freely, also being less of a burden on their tiring horse. In fact, it was a pressing necessity for Chloe to find something else to wear before their arrival in Highever, because she certainly did not want to attract attention to herself by showing up in the city while wearing templar armor.

Still, the issue of Chloe's armor was not the biggest concern on Max's mind right now, it wasn't even the templars closing in on them by using her phylactery. No, right now, Max's greatest concern was Chloe herself. The lyrium vial that she had acquired in the templar barracks had been emptied two days ago, and Chloe was visibly starting to struggle with withdrawal. Her best friend's face had been sickly pale before she had put on her helmet earlier this morning, her brow covered with droplets of perspiration, jaw clenched and speech clipped and abrupt. Max had also noticed that Chloe's hands were shaking rather badly, and she was experiencing difficulties hanging on to the reins, releasing them several times and almost causing them both to fall during a dangerous and steep descent.

Having never been confronted with the issues of lyrium addiction, Max had no idea how bad the withdrawal symptoms that Chloe was experiencing were, or how long they would continue to persist until her friend was in the clear, but she knew that lyrium was extremely addictive, so it was possible that Chloe's suffering could last for several weeks, perhaps even months. While Max did not want to do anything that might set back Chloe's attempts to kick the addiction and force her friend to restart the whole vicious circle, Max was also terrified that Chloe's condition might deteriorate to such extent that she would be unable to travel at all, leaving them completely at the mercy of the templars chasing them. This was the reason why during their next brief stop in a wind-protected campsite behind an outcropping of rocks, Max reached into her backpack and retrieved something that she had been carrying with her ever since their escape from the Circle Tower, a single potion with bright blue liquid in it.

"Hey," she said quietly, sitting down next to Chloe near the edge of the cliff. Her friend looked frankly terrible as she stared out at the sea before them, Chloe having removed her helmet, her blue hair moist and sticking together in clumps, face unnaturally pale, but the worst part were the dark circles forming under her eyes, making Chloe look positively ghoulish. "Not doing so well, are you?" Max prompted, rather uselessly, but Chloe did not respond. "So... I was holding onto this for an emergency, but... I think you should have it now," she added, reaching out and pressing the potion into Chloe's ice-cold palm.

"What... is that... lyrium?" Chloe croaked, looking down at the vial in her hand, eyes widening in surprise.

"Well, it's not pure lyrium that you're used to, Chloe," Max explained. "It's a lyrium potion, so it's very diluted, but it still helps us mages tap into the Fade more efficiently. It should still help you."

Chloe hastily removed the piece of cork sealing the small bottle and took a large mouthful. "Fuck, yes," she groaned in relief as soon as the liquid slid down her throat, leaving behind a pleasant warmth.

"Maybe you can save up some for tomorrow?" Max suggested hopefully.

"Nah, this shit is pretty weak," Chloe shook her head, then hastily downing the rest of the potion and tossing the vial over her left shoulder. "It barely takes the edge off... might last until tomorrow, but what then? Unless you have more, Max," Chloe gave her a hungry stare.

"No, just this one," Max replied. "It was all I had with me from the Circle Tower. Like I said, I was saving it up for an emergency."

"You had this lyrium potion and you allowed me to suffer all this time?" Chloe gave her an unexpectedly menacing, betrayed stare. "Gee, thanks a lot, Max. Some friend you are."

"What are you saying, Chloe?" Max gasped, surprised by the outburst. "I didn't want to get you hooked on that stuff! I thought that you wanted to kick the addiction!"

"So, it's all about the best intentions, I get it," Chloe snapped, getting up to her feet. "Hmm... maybe there's more where this came from and you're just hiding it from me, supposedly for my own benefit," she frowned, starting to walk back to the tied down mare, their belongings fastened across the horseback.

"Chloe, I'm telling you I had only that one potion!" Max cried, feeling betrayed that her friend would not take her word for granted. "You're not going to trust me? You're going to dig through my belongings, thinking that I have lied to you?"

"Done it once already, so why wouldn't you?" Chloe retorted, taking Max's backpack and dropping to her knees together with the bag, unfastening the buckles and starting to go through its contents, removing one article of clothing after another, while Max simply stood and watched as if frozen, unsure if she could believe her own eyes. Chloe never went as far as emptying the entire backpack, however, stopping after she had pulled out Max's undergarments, suddenly stopping, placing them back in the bag and then covering her face with her palms as her shoulders began to tremble.

"Chloe? Chloe... what's wrong?" Max asked quietly, approaching her friend, instantly forgetting her hurt feelings as soon as she realized that Chloe was breaking down in tears.

"Don't!" Chloe shouted, jumping up to her feet and startling the horse in the process, the gentle mare letting out a frightened whinny. "Don't comfort me, Max... I do not deserve it..." she sobbed, turning her back to Max and stomping a few paces away to the other side of the camp, remaining there with her back pressed against the trunk of a gnarled pine.

"Chloe... it's the withdrawal, isn't it?" Max said, deciding to walk up to her friend anyway, sensing that despite everything Chloe desperately did not want to be left alone, especially not now. "It's the lyrium, isn't it? It's messing you up so bad. I'm... I'm sorry."

"That's no excuse for being shitty to you, Max," Chloe whispered, barely holding back more tears. "I... should know better that you're the only one in this world who's on my side in all of this, and yet... I am snapping at you, looking at you with distrust... fuck, it makes me loathe myself!"

"I know you didn't mean it, Chloe. Not really," Max replied, walking up to her friend and taking her reluctant hand in hers. "I knew it was the lyrium withdrawal talking. You would have never said such things about me, not if you were truly yourself."

"I hate how it makes me feel," Chloe began to cry again, letting Max reach out and pull her into an embrace, resting her head upon the shorter girl's shoulder. "It doesn't just make me feel like crap physically, Max. It also fills my head with... strange, stupid thoughts that I know do not come from me, but it's... like they're trying to turn me against you. They make me suspicious for no reason at all... angry, short-tempered... and once the lyrium potion wears off, those thoughts and feelings will come back with vengeance. And what if it becomes worse? What if... what if I end up hurting you? I'd never forgive myself, Max..."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take, Chloe," Max whispered to her comfortingly. "You need to kick this lyrium addiction, and I believe that you stand a much better chance of doing that with me by your side. Nothing could scare me away from you during a time when I know you will need me the most, Chloe. Let's face it... we need each other if we're going to pull through all of this. Only together we can survive what is to come."

"What have I done to deserve someone as amazing as you, Max?" Chloe sobbed, wrapping her arms around her friend and returning the tight embrace in full measure, both girls drawing much needed strength from the intense, lengthy hug that neither of them seemed willing to break.

"You know, I was just going to ask the same question, only about you," Max replied, feeling extremely relieved that she had successfully managed to comfort her best friend.

"Well..." Chloe managed, a little awkwardly, once they had finally parted. "I suppose we should continue... our journey, I mean," she added, deep blush covering her cheeks beautifully. Max could only nod, her cheeks burning with pleasant warmth as they returned to the camp and began preparations to resume their journey.

* * *

At the end of the day's travels, Chloe and Max encountered a rare strike of good fortune. During their journey through the wilderness, the pair had stumbled upon a well maintained gravel road that had climbed up a larger hill and eventually led them to a lovely and remote hunting lodge, the cabin probably used by one of the local banns during a hunting season, but currently it stood abandoned, Chloe making short work of the lock on the doors, though she did try to minimize the damage as much as she could.

They made several very useful discoveries inside the hunting lodge; such as finding a pantry stuffed full with pickled goods and salted meats. Not only did the two girls set up a royal feast on the terrace just outside the cabin, they also filled their bags with as much as they could carry for the road ahead. The next discovery was made when Chloe opened the doors leading to a dusty storeroom, finding several suits of armor on stands, immediately deciding to try on a beautifully crafted suit of greenish scale mail with matching leggings, both items remarkably light, made from the finest quality veridium. While Max found that Chloe looked intriguingly imposing in her suit of templar plate, part of her still felt relieved when the templar armor was discarded and hidden in the storeroom, Chloe happily dancing around the cabin in the much lighter scale mail, a change that Max heartily approved of, mostly because of how snuggly it fit Chloe's delightful curves.

Having finished their thorough exploration of the hunting lodge, Chloe stepped out on the terrace to finish setting up their royal feast, while Max made a short trip around the cabin to set up warding glyphs and runes in case someone decided to interfere and ruin what was shaping to become a rarely enjoyable evening, something they hadn't expected considering the circumstances. _It would be just our luck if the templars were to catch up with us tonight,_ Max found herself thinking as she finished inscribing the exploding runes on the main gravel path to the cottage, then shaking her head as if trying to clear it from such thoughts. _No, I shouldn't think like that and spoil a rare peaceful evening with Chloe. Who knows how many such evenings we will be able to savor? Probably not too many..._ she thought to herself, turning around and walking back to the lodge where Chloe already waited for her, smiling goofily as she pointed at the laden table on the terrace, looking especially proud when she presented Max with an opened bottle of something that looked like...

"Wine?" Max blinked, shaking her head and laughing. "You actually found wine?"

"Yeah, and there's more where this came from... though we probably shouldn't indulge," Chloe grinned as they sat down at the table, pouring the wine for herself and Max, the two girls then spending the next half an hour eating and drinking until they could no longer entertain even the thought of swallowing yet another morsel.

"Well, that was..." Max gasped, leaning back in her chair, barely able to breathe. "Pretty damn amazing."

"Sure was," Chloe nodded, then letting out a loud burp. "Whoops, pardon me," she blushed, both girls breaking out in a fit of amused giggling.

"This is perfect, Chloe," Max sighed, giving her friend a look of utmost fondness. _I wish we could stay like this forever,_ she felt like saying, the expression in Chloe's eyes suggesting that her friend was thinking exactly the same thought.

"Yeah," Chloe replied, turning away from Max and looking out towards the sea, waves crashing with loud bangs against the basalt columns forming the shoreline. "And the view is... just amazing. Makes me envious of whoever owns this awesome cottage."

"Who knows, perhaps one day…" Max began wistfully. "Hey, you told me to never lose hope, right?" she added, noticing the slightly skeptical look on Chloe's face.

"Damn right," Chloe expression immediately shifted into an encouraging smile. "One day we'll have our own cabin with a view at the sea, you'll see."

"A sea full of ships. Pirate ships," Max added dreamily. "Hey... maybe we could sign on with the pirates. They could protect us from the templars, right?"

"Heh," Chloe chuckled. "I'm not sure that the pirates roaming the Waking Sea truly are as we pictured them in our overly romanticized fantasies. In reality they're probably rather unpleasant. And… well, I have a pretty good idea of what they would do with two young women like us, should we ever end up on a pirate ship."

"Ugh," Max winced in disgust. "Well, thanks for forever ruining pirates for me, Chloe."

"It's okay, Max," Chloe chuckled. "When we become pirate queens, we're totally going to reform the pirate ranks. We'll be the noble 'steal from the rich, give to the poor', common folk's beloved buccaneers."

"Works for me," Max grinned at her best friend as they continued to sit outside on the terrace, chatting and looking on at how the sky slowly darkened and stars began to appear in the clear sky, retreating inside only when the chill of the night started to encroach upon them.

"So... this fancy place actually has two beds," Chloe stated, looking around the common room of the cabin. "For the first time, we don't have to share," she remarked, though to Max she did not sound overly happy about it, a sentiment that Max shared completely.

"I suppose," Max shrugged, still not daring to utter the bold suggestion not to sleep apart. "Comfortable looking beds, too, so for once we might get a decent night's sleep. And that lovely wine is kinda making me real sleepy," Max added with a broad yawn.

"Yeah, no kidding," Chloe chuckled, starting to remove her new scale mail. "I guess we might as well make the best of it and hit the sack. It's late enough for that, anyway."

"Sure thing," Max nodded, starting to free herself from her comfortably snug leather vest, then slipping off her leather pants, kicking off the socks as she remained only in her set of light undergarments. "Good night, Chloe," she added, reaching out to extinguish the candle on her nightstand, Chloe doing the same on the other side of the room, leaving them both in complete darkness.

"Sleep well, Max," Chloe spoke, both girls crawling under the blankets and lowering their heads upon the soft goose feather pillows.

Still, a good half an hour later, despite the comfortable bed and the soft pillow, Max found herself unable to fall asleep, even if she felt nicely relaxed and quite sleepy from the consumed wine. Something simply seemed... off, and it did not take long for her to realize what it was. The previous nights they had slept wherever they could set up their tent, often on a rocky, uncomfortable ground that left Max rather stiff when she woke up the next morning. And yet, every evening, she found herself drifting off to sleep quickly and easily, sense of peace and safety enveloping her whenever she felt Chloe's warm body cuddling up against her side. She had become so used to falling asleep next to Chloe that now she felt the absence of Chloe's warmth next to her so acutely that she simply could not fall asleep.

_I wonder... do I dare to sneak over and slip into Chloe's bed? She wouldn't kick me out, would she?_ Max thought to herself, feeling very strongly tempted to kick off the blankets and join Chloe in her bed... but before she could act upon her sudden desire, Max overheard slight commotion coming from Chloe's side of the room, her friend rolling over in the bed and sighing in frustration. There was a moment of silence before Max heard the patter of naked feet on the floorboards, suddenly feeling a tug on the blankets covering her, and moments later Chloe had slipped into her bed, settling in against her turned back, gently spooning her and nuzzling her forehead against Max's shoulder.

"Well... hello there..." Max whispered, her heart surging with delight at Chloe's closeness.

"Mhm…" Chloe purred softly. "Think I prefer to share..."

"Me too," Max replied, pleasantly dizzy with happiness that Chloe's proximity brought her. "Me too, Chloe..."


	16. Chapter 16

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_The Coastland Wilderness, Ferelden_

Max and Chloe did not encounter similar fortune at the end of the next day's travel, never coming across a similarly convenient and comfortable hunting lodge like on the evening of the day before. They did, however, discover a serviceable and mostly dry cave in the seaside cliffs that appeared to have been used by smugglers sometime in the past, judging by the amount of abandoned and empty crates littering the cavern. This time, most of the job to make their temporary dwelling inhabitable and secure fell to Max since Chloe was not really in the shape to contribute much save for some small errands.

The first half of the day had been very encouraging and uplifting. Following an amazing night's sleep at the hunting lodge, the pair had felt refreshed and made good time on their way to Highever, which Chloe estimated to be no more than three or four days away. In the afternoon, however, Chloe had started to struggle. The effects of the lyrium potion finally wore off and the withdrawal symptoms came back in a rush, unpleasant tremors seizing her, accompanied by unpleasant shifts from feeling like being set on fire one moment and freezing the next. The horrible sensations were now accompanied by something that Chloe had not experienced earlier; dizzy spells that made her head spin, and eventually made her faint and fall from the horse. It was only by miracle that Chloe had not seriously injured herself, but following that incident Max had insisted that they walk for the rest of the day, even if it slowed them down significantly and likely allowed their hunters to catch up.

Certainly, Chloe had not been happy with the decision, looking guilt-ridden and upset with herself, feeling as if her weakness was endangering them both. Max had tried her best compassionate reassurances to make her friend understand that she had nothing to feel guilty about, but whether she had actually managed to get her message across remained uncertain because by the end of the day, Chloe was more or less delirious, barely able to make it to the cave, leaving Max wondering just how would they get anything done on the following day since Chloe's condition was unlikely to improve without , there was one thing that Max was certain of despite everything. Even if Chloe could not travel the day after, she would remain with her friend for as long as it took the templars to track them both down, preferring to die by Chloe's side than to abandon her best friend.

Max was relieved that Chloe had at least managed to fall asleep, though it had taken her some time, Max feeling the other girl tremble and shake like a leaf as they huddled close together, the young mage hoping that their body contact would calm Chloe and help her sleep, and somehow it had worked. The relief did not last for long, though, as Max was awakened in the middle of the night, a painful sensation spiking in her side. At first she did not realize what had happened, but when Chloe twisted sharply in her sleep and painfully backhanded her across the face, fighting some invisible dream assailant, Max realized that her suffering friend was at fault, having elbowed her in the ribs.

Truly, Chloe was a sad sight, and at first Max hadn't been sure whether she was awake or asleep, the other girl tossing around so much, the tremors wracking her frame having grown into convulsions. Even worse, Chloe was muttering under her breath the whole time, delirious ravings that made no sense at all, making Max wonder whether she should try to wake Chloe up from this horrible nightmare, or try to comfort her and guide her through the dream without waking her.

Having decided to try and embrace Chloe more tightly so that she could not punch or kick her, Max rose a little on her side, placing her palm against the firm ground for support as she leaned over Chloe. As she did so, however, Chloe spontaneously closed her thighs together, trapping Max's hand between her legs as the young mage let out a sudden gasp of astonishment. Max tried to gently remove her hand, her cheeks burning with heat as she felt the tender skin of Chloe's thighs pressing down harder and harder on her hand, the other girl also reaching out with her hand to keep Max's arm in place.

"Chloe, what-..." Max began to speak, but Chloe was not truly awake, operating on some kind of an instinct. "Oh..." Max gasped, powerful tremble running through her as she felt Chloe's hand forcing her arm closer and closer towards where her legs crested, able to feel the heat radiating from Chloe's center. She could only whimper helplessly when her arm brushed against Chloe's heated flesh, the thin undergarment not exactly providing much of a barrier.

_Maker... this isn't happening,_ Max thought to herself, feeling her entire body as if set on fire when Chloe began to rock her hips against her trapped arm, her movements desperate, needy, chaotic and wild. _Oh, Chloe... if you truly need this, then I will do my best to oblige. Maker knows, I could never deny you anything._ With that thought, Max somehow battled past her extreme embarrassment and adjusted the position of her arm so that Chloe could grind her hips against the heel of her hand, giving the other girl more purchase. It did not take long for the rocking of Chloe's hips to grow completely frantic and Max felt a powerful shudder running through the other girl, Chloe sobbing out her release as her body slackened and she collapsed atop of the blankets, boneless in her exhaustion.

_I will always be there to give you exactly what you want, what you need,_ Max thought to herself, carefully extracting her arm from between Chloe's legs and moving to gently embrace the now much calmer and more relaxed girl, snuggling against her back as she felt herself drifting off to join Chloe in a restful slumber with one final thought on her mind. _I love you, Chloe Price..._

* * *

"What do you think, Cullen?" Carroll spoke up, looking at the other templar, Cullen sitting by the campfire and staring thoughtfully at the red glowing phylactery in his hand. "Are we getting closer?"

"Definitely," Cullen nodded. "They're less than a day and a half away, I'd wager. We've been gaining ground all the time, but in the past few days they've really slowed down. I suspect that Chloe is starting to really feel the lyrium withdrawal about now," he added with a conflicted look on his face.

"Nothing less than she deserves for making us chase them through this sodding wilderness," Hadley remarked nearby, using his sword to chop up the gathered firewood.

"Chloe has always been a smart girl," Cullen shrugged. "It was to be expected."

"Yes, stop complaining Hadley, you said yourself that you were looking forward to a good chase," Carroll chuckled at his frowning friend. "Let me guess, Cullen, you're still convinced that we should haul Price all the way back to the Circle Tower?"

"Absolutely," Cullen nodded confidently. "And after reading the letter that Mother Mallol from Highever sent us with the raven, I think we should bring Caulfield back as well, if possible. I mean, they've been childhood friends from a very young age. It's understandable that Chloe was trying to prevent her best friend from the Rite of Tranquility. This is not some kind of grand conspiracy against the Templar Order, these are just two frightened girls, trying to help one another."

"Oh, come on, Cullen," Carroll groaned, shaking his head. "Caulfield killed a fellow mage! We were there! We saw it happen!"

"No, you said that you entered the chapel to find her standing over the prone forms of the others," Cullen gave the other templar a suspicious glance. "You said that it _looked_ as if she had just cast some kind of a spell. Is it possible that you somehow misread the situation?"

"You calling us liars, Cullen?" Hadley glared at his fellow templar.

"No... but perhaps you were too hasty in jumping to conclusions?" Cullen shrugged. "What's the harm in interrogating Price, Caulfield, and the other mage who survived the encounter? What was his name again? Oh right, Anders."

"Price attacked us! Damn it, man, she knocked Greagoir out cold!" Carroll exclaimed angrily. "She's going to swing for that alone!"

"Our actions should be guided by our sense of justice, not by our taste for revenge," Cullen disagreed. "I intend to see that justice is carried out here, even if it means putting in some extra effort. And since Knight-Commander Greagoir has assigned me to lead this mission, you two are obliged to carry out my orders."

"But of course," Carroll smirked. "I don't suppose we might change your mind on this, Cullen?"

"Not a chance," Cullen shook his head.

"Well, I suppose then we have no choice but to obey, do we, Hadley?" Carroll said, looking up at his friend. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Cullen frowned, turning to look up at Hadley, noticing that the other templar had for some reason moved behind his back. Cullen did not even manage to react as Hadley struck him with a powerful blow across his temples using a heavy piece of firewood, the leader of the templar group sliding down from the log he had been sitting on and plummeting to the ground unconscious.

"Unless you're not around to give us retarded orders, Cullen," Carroll laughed, watching Hadley unleashing a wild kick at Cullen's ribs to flip him over and force the phylactery to fall out from his limp hand.

"And now... now we hunt for real," Hadley spoke up grimly as he bent downwards to retrieve Max's phylactery, holding it up in the air as the two templars broke out in a slightly disturbing laughter.

* * *

_Great Mabari... what a night..._ Maxine 'Max' Caulfield thought to herself, groaning at how her left side ached painfully from the hard and uneven ground of the cave in which they had found solace the night before. She rose up in a sitting position, yawning before opening her eyes and looking around, immediately becoming alert and letting out a gasp when she noticed that the sleeping berth next to her was empty and Chloe was nowhere to be seen.

"Chloe? Chloe!" she called out quietly, unable to entirely keep out the frantic worry from her voice.

"Over here, Max," Chloe's voice came from outside the cave, the other girl sounding calm, almost sad as she spoke. Max quickly grabbed her pants and pulled them on, hiding her naked legs from the morning chill of the seaside, grabbing her water flask with her as she also stepped outside, uncorking the canteen and taking a few eager sips.

"Water?" she held the canteen out for Chloe, sitting on a rock by the cave entrance, chin propped against her knees as she stared out at the sea.

"Oh... thanks," Chloe muttered, gratefully accepting the canteen. The moment their eyes briefly met was enough for Chloe to blush deeply, Max feeling herself experiencing the same reaction.

_Oh... so... she's aware of what happened,_ Max realized, her heart starting to beat frantically. _Maybe she wasn't fully asleep after all. Still... I don't regret what happened. I did whatever I had to make her feel better, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I just... I just hope she doesn't regret what happened..._

"Umm, so..." Max began, not sure how to continue, suddenly feeling hamstrung by this newly created awkwardness. "How do you feel today, Chloe?"

"What? Oh... not so bad, actually," Chloe replied, still a little flustered. "Which means we should probably eat... and then be on our way. Not sure how long this good spell will last..."

"Yeah, let's do that," Max nodded, grateful to have something else to talk about and focus on. "I'll scour our bags for breakfast supplies."

"I'll help," Chloe added, jumping off from the rock and following Max back inside the cave, the two of them quickly whipping up a modest meal from their remaining supplies and then swiftly wolfing it down. "We'll have to move inland today," Chloe said, once they had eaten and were busy putting their armor back on. "Hopefully we will come across some farm where we can resupply."

"Sounds good to me," Max agreed eagerly, the two of them then dismantling the campsite and making their final preparations for the road ahead before mounting their loyal steed whom Max had affectionately dubbed Rosebud.

Chloe's grip on the reins seemed steady as they swiftly rode in a southwestern direction, moving more inland while still retaining course towards Highever. Still, Max could not help but feel that Chloe was very subdued over something, worrying that perhaps it had to do with what had happened the night before, her best friend remaining unusually quiet and withdrawn to the point where Max could no longer endure it anymore, deciding to speak up even if she felt deeply embarrassed to bring up just what had happened between them.

"Chloe..."

"Max..."

Somehow they both ended up speaking at exactly the same time, Max letting out an uneasy chuckle at that. "You go first, Chloe," she said softly, encouraging the other girl to speak.

"Yes, well... ah... I wasn't truly asleep last night..." Chloe muttered quietly, also sounding embarrassed. "I mean, I kinda was and wasn't at the same time..."

"You were suffering horribly, Chloe. You were absolutely delirious," Max whispered, lowering her head to rest against Chloe's back.

"Yeah... I was kinda not really there," Chloe nodded. "But... well, I was aware enough to understand what was going on..."

"Chloe... I just did what I felt you needed," Max replied slowly. "Like I said I would. I will always be there for you, Chloe. It's a promise I intend to keep."

"Well, sure, but... I mean... that was... more help than a kind word or a friendly hug, right?" Chloe managed awkwardly.

"Oh... I... then I'm terribly sorry," Max blanched, feeling sick to the stomach from the very thought of Chloe feeling like she had invaded her privacy against her will. "Please... please forgive me. It will never happen again."

"Ugh, Max... my bad, that's not what I meant at all. Shit, I suck at making any sense today," Chloe grumbled. "I was actually trying to convey the exact opposite of how I came across."

"Oh!" Max exclaimed, both surprised and relieved, even if she still was not completely certain what Chloe had meant. _Is she saying that she wants us to be more than friends? Lovers? I mean... I already know that I love her, so... I guess this might be her way of saying that she feels the same way about me? Great Mabari... that's madness. Why couldn't this be happening when a bloodthirsty bunch of templars aren't trying to track us down? So frigging unfair!_

"Max?" Chloe asked softly a few moments later as Max was still busy struggling with countless important questions swarming through her head. "You alright back there?"

"Yeah. Yeah, Chloe, I am, I really am," Max replied gently, pressing closer to the other girl on the horseback. "Chloe, I feel like... telling you something really important... really deep. But at the same time... I'm a little afraid to give my feelings voice... you know?"

"It should be painfully obvious that I want to say the exact same words back to you, my dearest Maxima, so you shouldn't feel nervous about that," Chloe replied tenderly.

"Oh, I'm... not awfully nervous about that, not so much," Max managed a slightly strained laugh. "For some reason, I just feel like saying something big like that, well, it would be almost like tempting fate, considering our situation."

"No kidding," Chloe nodded. "Our luck has been downright crappy at times, so I get why you would feel that way. Besides, it's kinda clear how we both feel, right? Putting it all into words wouldn't really change a thing."

"I agree," Max said, hugging Chloe even tighter, but then easing her hold when she felt Chloe all of a sudden pulling on the reigns to slow their horse down.

"Looks like our luck will be tested yet again, Max," Chloe said, trying to sound calm. "We've got company," she added, nodding ahead, Max looking over Chloe's shoulder to spot at least four men standing next to the narrow hillside pass they were traveling along. All of them were dressed like hunters, bows strung up on their backs, daggers sheathed at their belts, wearing well-maintained garbs of leather armor. "Remember to keep calm, Max. We don't want to reveal to these country bumpkins that you're a mage," Chloe warned quietly, Max nodding as she eyed the men warily, one of them stepping forward to address them.

"Ho there, travelers," the man called out, friendly smile on his lips. "Are you aware that you're trespassing on the lands of Sean Prescott, Arl of Arcadia Bay?"

"Umm... no, good Ser, we were not aware," Max replied politely, Chloe keeping her helmet on, unwilling to reveal her easily identifiable blue hair. "If you could be as kind as to give us directions, we would remove ourselves from Arl Prescott's lands as quickly as possible."

"Certainly, young lady," the man smiled at her, though Max didn't exactly feel comforted by the way his eyes lingered on her for much longer than she would have considered polite. "It would be a pleasure to escort you and your friend to the borders of the arling. Say... since we're all friends here, perhaps your friend could remove his helmet?" he asked, looking at Chloe. "I just think it's a little impolite to have a conversation with someone who's face is obscured."

"Shit," Chloe whispered, but there really was no way to deny this request without appearing incredibly suspicious so she was forced to take off her helmet, revealing her mop of lyrium-blue hair, earning whistles of approval from the odd group of hunters.

"So, not just one pretty lady traveling the wilderness, but two of them," the leader of the group grinned broadly, turning to face his comrades. "What do you think, lads?"

"That blue hair is definitely something... very exotic," one of the men replied, unable to take his eyes off Chloe. "And Nathan loves exotic things. We could probably get up to fifty for her, like for that elf last month."

"The other lass is damn cute, too," another of the men added. "At least thirty sovereigns, if not more."

"I don't know what you're talking about, assholes, but you better move out of our way!" Chloe shouted angrily, ready to tug on the reins and run over the man in front of their horse, but before she had the chance to do so, an arrow suddenly flew out of nowhere and lodged itself in the thick neck of their steed. Rosebud let out a frightened neigh of pain and rose on her hind legs, instantly throwing both Max and Chloe off her back. Max didn't even have a chance to scream as the ground swiftly met her with a painful impact, making her black out instantly.


	17. Chapter 17

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Prescott Estate, Arling of Arcadia Bay_

Max opened her eyes with a loud groan, reaching out to touch her aching head, blinking as she felt the strange sensation of velvety cloth against her forehead, only then realizing that for some reason she was wearing elegant red gloves, stretching up to her elbows. Puzzled as to what was going on, Max rose to a sitting position, finding herself perched on a reasonably comfortable straw mattress, wearing a beautiful and very expensive looking gown of deep burgundy red. She quickly looked around, discovering that she was behind the bars of a dungeon cell, noticing someone standing outside the cell, and giving her an amused, haughty smirk. "What the-..." Max began to speak, but the woman outside cut her off abruptly.

"I know what you're thinking, little birdie, but none of those disgusting men who brought you in laid their hands upon you," she said imperiously. Max had to admit that the young woman was rather striking, short blonde hair, strapless and daringly revealing black dress, thick white pearl necklace around her neck, hanging low to rest against the tops of her breasts. "My maids dressed up both you and your friend over here," she smiled, stepping aside and letting Max notice Chloe standing at the bars of a similar cell directly opposite to her, Max's eyes widening as she took in Chloe's new appearance, a dress of identical style as hers, only blue, perfectly matching the color of her hair. Still, this obviously was not the time to admire Chloe's undeniable attractiveness for it seemed that they once again found themselves in serious trouble.

"Who are you?" Max eventually found her voice, demanding of the blonde woman.

"You may call me either Lady Chase or Lady Victoria," their captor replied. "Soon to be Lady Victoria Prescott... and then Arlessa Victoria Prescott. Not soon enough, I say!"

Max blinked, exchanging surprised stares with Chloe in the other cell. _This is the girl who was with Arl Prescott's son when all this trouble with my magic began! What a crazy, twisted coincidence... maybe our story is destined to end where it started? No... no, I refuse to believe it. I won't give up hope, especially not now when I know that Chloe would return my feelings for her..._

"So... you're the fiancée of Lord Nathan?" Max asked guardedly. Of course, there was no chance that either Victoria or Nathan would remember them, they had probably never bothered to find out their names after the incident in Highever.

"That's right, little birdie," Victoria smiled at Max, but it was not the sort of comforting smile that would set Max at ease.

"Why are we here?" Chloe demanded, less inclined to be polite as she gave Victoria an angry glare. "What's with the fancy dresses? Is this some kind of a sick game?"

"I'm sure that small-minded folk would call it that, indeed," Victoria frowned at Chloe. "Nathan simply has... slightly peculiar tastes that must be provided for, time and time again. I used to think of it as a sacrifice that one must make for the sake of increased social standing, and eventual rise to becoming the next arlessa. But lately I have discovered that I rather enjoy partaking in my future husband's entertainment. I feel that it has brought us much closer... yes, it has..." she added, clicking her tongue meaningfully.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Chloe barked.

"Just think of your dresses as... basically, gift wraps," Victoria laughed disturbingly. "And soon Nathan will be doing the unwrapping. I am here to choose with which one of you to begin... and since you appear so hostile and uncooperative, I think we'll start with you, bluebird," she added, winking at Chloe.

"Don't you dare!" Max cried, grabbing the bars of her cell and shaking them in rage, to no effect. "Touch her, and I _**will**_ kill you! I swear it!"

Victoria actually took a step back, appearing a little startled by Max's anger, but Chloe gave Max a warning stare, making a hand gesture pleading with her friend to calm down, Max reluctantly acquiescing and stepping away from the bars.

"Such passion... I like passion," Victoria recovered to chuckle, turning around to leave. "Nathan will soon send his guards to bring our toy up to his quarters. I would encourage you to accept your fate and go along with it... it would be so much more enjoyable for us all with a more willing participant..."

Max and Chloe both waited for Victoria's footsteps to fade down the passage leading away from the dungeon, both of them reaching out to grab the bars and look each other in the eyes, both of them frightened out of their wits at what was in store for them. "Why did you stop me, Chloe?" Max whispered. "I could have blasted that bitch with my magic..."

"Have you killed before, Max?" Chloe asked softly. "Intentionally, I mean."

"No," Max shook her head. "But I would have no trouble killing someone who threatens to do... to do _**that**_ to you!"

"Well, you mustn't kill, Max," Chloe replied. "Our only advantage is that nobody suspects you of being a mage, Max. But if you had blasted Victoria, it would not have helped us any, Nathan would have simply had us killed. Perhaps we would have been tortured horribly before our execution. We need to be smart about this, Max."

"Chloe, you can't ask me to stand here and do nothing when those guards come to take you away!" Max protested.

"Perhaps it would be the smart thing to do..." Chloe mused, though she couldn't hide the disgusted look on her face.

"No, I won't stand for it," Max insisted stubbornly. "Besides, you won't be able to stop me," she added, crossing her arms on her chest defiantly.

"You're right... in my lyrium withdrawal, I can't even use my templar abilities to stop you," Chloe admitted. "But a word of warning, Max. I saw how angry you became just a moment ago... in this place, we might be forced to suffer terrible horrors that will push your ability to resist the demons to the limit. You must promise me that you will resist their lure, regardless of what happens. Do not accept any deals with them, even if it is to save my life. Like I told you before... I refuse to live in a world where you are only a shell of the beautiful person I care so much about, my amazing Maxima replaced with a snarling, gargling demonic abomination. Remember that when the whispers of the demons grow louder... and they will."

"I... I will remember, Chloe," Max nodded, feeling slightly sick and dizzy, weakness in her knees that made it hard for her to remain upright and she gripped the bars again.

"Of course... attacking the guards might actually not be such a bad idea, Max," Chloe then looked up at her again, an idea forming in her head. "They will have the keys to our cells."

"Oh... well, duh," Max blinked, then slapping a palm against her forehead. "Of course. I can barely think clearly when I'm freaking out... and you're right, I need to be calm," she nodded to herself. "Chloe, when they come for you... step back to the far wall of your cell. I'll hit them right as they open the cell doors."

"Gotcha, my brave Maxima," Chloe smiled at her, the two girls condemned to an excruciating wait for Arl Prescott's son to send his henchmen to retrieve Chloe and bring her to his quarters for whatever sick and sordid games he had in mind for his captives. Merely thinking about the threat that was made towards Chloe nearly sent Max's stomach heaving, and the dizziness only grew with every passing minute spent waiting, so when the heavy footsteps finally approached their cells, Max was actually glad to hear them. Moments later, two large and armed men walked up to the doors of Chloe's cell and slipped the key into the lock, turning it, all the time ignoring Max, their backs turned towards her.

That was all the invitation Max needed. She raised her hands and began to draw upon the mystical energies of the Fade, bluish white sparks dancing around her outstretched fingers before an arc of lightning jumped from her hands and slammed into the two hapless guards, causing them to double over and cry out in pain. With no lyrium potions available, and her staff back at the Circle Tower, Max's capacity to tap into the Fade was limited, but she found that drawing upon her anger and determination aided her almost just as well, the young mage opening herself to the roaring energies of the Fade, becoming a conduit of her hatred and maintaining the channel of the lightning arc until the two guards on the ground had stopped twitching, Max eventually lowering her hands and then recoiling in horror at what her rage fuelled power had accomplished, two blackened, smoking corpses on the ground.

"Umm... remind me never to get on your bad side, Max," Chloe coughed, looking both impressed and just a little concerned. Still, she did not hesitate for long, quickly rushing towards the two corpses and starting to search them, eventually leaning back and giving Max an apologetic glance. "Fuck... they don't have the key to your cell, Max."

"Ugh," Max groaned. "I don't suppose you could just hack the lock with one of their swords?"

"Not this lock, it's far too solid," Chloe shook her head. "But I can now escape the dungeon, arm myself and see about getting my hands on the key to your cell."

"Or you could flee and-... uh, okay, I'm just going to stop now," Max finished lamely, having received a deeply insulted stare from Chloe.

"Yeah, I'll just pretend I didn't hear that," Chloe frowned, grabbing a sword and a shield from one of the dead guards, about to quietly proceed down the passage out of the dungeon. "Wait here and don't go anywhere, Max," she added flippantly.

"Yes, ha-ha, how very funny," Max grumbled by herself, reduced to more agonizing waiting, quietly praying for Chloe to return soon, hopefully carrying the key to her cell. She eventually heard some kind of commotion further down the passage, shouts and sounds of fighting... which was not promising at all, considering that Chloe had planned to rely on stealth to accomplish her goal. Sadly, Max's slowly dying hope was extinguished completely moments later when a trio of burly guards dragged a disarmed Chloe down the passageway, her friend sporting a nasty bruise on her swollen cheek.

"What the fuck happened here?" one of the guards cursed aloud, noticing the corpses of their two fellows.

"This bitch is a mage!" another guard said, pointing at Chloe. "We can't just throw her back into the cell, we have to bind her hands!" Despite their grim situation, Chloe actually managed to shoot Max an amused stare at that, as if suggesting that some hope still remained because their captors had failed to correctly identify Max as the mage.

Once Chloe's hands had been tied behind her back and she had been unceremoniously tossed back into her cell, one of the guards quickly ran off to inform Lord Nathan about this unexpected development, while the other two remained to watch over their prisoners more closely, also using the opportunity to move the charred bodies of their fellows into one of the empty cells of the dungeon. Irritatingly, the constant presence of the guards did not allow Max and Chloe to exchange any conspiring words to plot their next move now that their initial plan had collapsed.

It didn't take long for the arl's son to arrive together with the frantic guard, Nathan himself a fairly handsome young man, though there was something about his smirk that immediately set Max on the edge. In fact, Max was sure that she would have found Nathan's expression a little disturbing even if Victoria hadn't told them about her future husband's peculiar tastes. "Open the cell," Nathan demanded and one of the guards quickly moved to obey, unlocking the doors of Chloe's cell, Nathan stepping inside and approaching Chloe, the girl having moved to stand with her back against the far wall, almost as if expecting Max to let loose with her magic again. Max, however, was in no position to help, at least not currently. Their four opponents were too spread out in the dungeon to hit them all at once, not to mention that she had badly exhausted herself by maintaining her previous spell overly long, needing some additional time to recover.

"You're responsible for the deaths of my two guards?" Nathan spoke up in an even, yet still somehow dangerous voice, reaching out to grasp Chloe's chin in his palm and force her to look upwards into his eyes. "I am not pleased. A punishment beckons."

"She also cut me with her sword, trying to get the key to her friend's cell," one of the guards added angrily, pointing at a bloody cut on his cheek.

"Yes, how very sad," Nathan muttered. "Wait a moment..." he said, suddenly releasing Chloe and turning around to face the guard. "She attacked you with a sword?"

"Well... yes, Lord Nathan?" the hapless guard shrugged.

"Why would she attack you with a sword if it would have been so much easier for her to just blast you with her magic?" Nathan mused, Max paling from his words, realizing that the jig was up. "Unless..." the arl's son exclaimed, swirling around and pointing at Max in the other cell. "There's your mage!" Max immediately raised her hands, ready to unleash a burst of deadly fire, but Nathan reacted quickly, pulling out a dagger and pressing the sharp blade against Chloe's exposed throat. "Ah-ah... not so fast, little mage. One wrong move, and I'll gut your pretty friend like a pig... do you understand me?"

"Yes," Max ground out angrily.

"Good," Nathan nodded. "You, idiots," he barked at the guards. "Open the mage's cell, bind her hands and gag her. And you, mage... don't even think of trying something, or else this blue haired beauty will have her throat slashed..."

Facing such a threat, Max had no other options other than to obey, allowing the guards to tie her hands behind her back and then to gag her with a foul smelling piece of cloth. Meanwhile, Nathan was standing ponderously in Chloe's cell, looking thoughtful before flashing a knowing and cruel smirk at his defiant bluenette captive. "Well... I believe that I am still entitled to compensation for the deaths of my guards, dumb idiots that they are," he eventually said. "And while it's clearly our little mage's work, she has suddenly become far too valuable and interesting to me... I mean, I've never had the pleasure of an apostate's company in my private quarters. Something to look forward to."

Chloe shot him an angry glare at that, but did not dare to react, Nathan still holding a dagger close to her throat. "If those idiots who brought you to the Prescott Estate had only known that one of you were a mage, they could have extorted me for a much greater reward... but oh well, their loss is my gain. Anyway, where was I?" he looked at Chloe again, snapping his fingers. "Ah yes, time to take the loss of my guards out of your skin, bluebell," he chuckled, grabbing Chloe's elbow and roughly yanking her towards the bars of her cell. "You'll want to hold on tight to something," Nathan smirked, cutting the rope binding Chloe's wrists, then reaching out and tearing apart the dress on Chloe's back, letting it slide down to her midriff and leave her partially exposed. Max could not stop herself from blushing at the sight of Chloe's breasts, but when she noticed the three guards staring unabashedly at Chloe's nudity and exchanging stupid chuckles, Max felt hot, searing anger surging through her veins, the girl starting to vigorously struggle against her bonds, eager to melt the flesh from the bones of those who would dehumanize her beloved friend like this.

"This might hurt a little," Nathan said with cruel promise in his voice, unhooking a whip folded at his belt and preparing to lash it against Chloe's exposed back. "Then again... that's the idea, really," he laughed, the first lash striking Chloe's skin and leaving behind an angry red stripe upon the pale skin as the girl's head snapped upwards and she cried out in pain.

The whole experience was pure torture for them both, physical for Chloe, mental for Max. As Nathan continued to whip her remorsefully, Chloe never broke the eye contact with Max in the cell opposite to her, even as tears flooded her eyes and made it difficult for her to see anything, Chloe drawing strength from her friend, just enough to remain conscious as her back was slowly turned into a raw, bloody mess. For Max, watching Chloe suffer like this was the cruelest punishment possible, and yet, somehow she still could not look away, perhaps sensing that Chloe needed the eye contact, needed the strength she could draw from the love and compassion in Max's eyes.

As the cruel punishment continued, the anger and the desire to brutally murder those who would do this to Chloe only grew and grew, making it difficult for Max to think clearly, thoughts of violent revenge pushing everything else from her mind. Through the haze of her maddening anger, Max soon became aware of sudden, persistent whispers at the back of her mind, becoming more and more prominent as rage grew inside of her. _He's going to kill her, Max,_ the whispers spoke to her. _You need to do something! You said you would do anything to save Chloe, didn't you?_

 _Yes, but what can I do?_ Max thought to herself frantically, hoping for an answer, a solution, anything.

 _I have helped you save Chloe from death twice before, Max... I can help you again... you want that, don't you?_ The whispers seemed to increase in volume, sweetly persistent and captivating, so very persuasive as they appealed to Max's greatest desire to keep Chloe safe. _You know I have the power to help, Max... I have done so before, without asking for anything in return. I can give you the power that you need to destroy these men who are torturing your Chloe. You would enjoy that, Max, I know how badly you want to hurt them... but would it be so wrong for you to give something in return? I am not asking for much, Max..._

 _What is your price, demon?_ Max thought frantically, realizing that she was bargaining with a demon, but seeing Chloe's tear-stained face, hearing her cry out at every lash of the whip... she felt it was clearly the time to take drastic measures.

 _I can only help you defeat these men if I am in control, my dear Max,_ came the sweetest, gentlest of whispers. _All you need to do is... to let me in. Just for the briefest of moments. Is that so much to ask? For Chloe's sake? She's dying, Max! This man is going to kill her!_

Max was about to exclaim permission in her thoughts, to surrender herself to the demonic possession, even if a part of herself realized that she was being deceived and that she would never be able to wrestle the control back from the demon, the necessity to save Chloe was stronger than any rational thought. But before she had managed to give the permission, Chloe's voice cut through her rage clouded thoughts, her beautiful friend managing to cry out in-between the lashes. "Don't do it, Max!" Chloe shouted desperately, seemingly aware of the internal battle Max was fighting. "You... aaah! You promised! Don't give in! Fight... ungh! Fight the demon!"

Max immediately snapped out of her rage-filled thoughts, looking into Chloe's eyes and nodding in understanding. The whispers at the back of her head immediately changed their tune from seductively sweet to bitterly malevolent. _Fine, be that way, Max. Just remember the choice you were given... remember it, because Chloe's death will now be on your hands._ Max shuddered at the demon's cruel parting shot, but fortunately she was saved from further painful internal struggles when Chloe's torture was suddenly interrupted by another guard rushing into the dungeon and making Nathan stay his hand as he regarded the newcomer with a look of pure annoyance.

"Lord Nathan... I'm sorry to disturb you, but..." the guard spoke hastily, breathless, and a little frightened. "There are visitors, asking for you."

"Well, get rid of them!" Nathan shouted at the covering guard. "I'm busy here!"

"Umm... we tried, my Lord, but they would not leave, and... well, they're not the sort of visitors we dare to chase away," the guard managed. "Lord Nathan... they're templars!"

"Templars?" Nathan's eyebrows rose as he stepped away from Chloe, the bluenette slumping to the ground and remaining there motionless, while in the meantime Max's heart was pounding like mad from the news that the templars had arrived. "Hmm, I suppose I can imagine why..." Nathan smirked, looking over at Max. "Of course, this doesn't mean that I'm simply going to comply with their requests without asking for anything in return. Still... I guess you're off the hook for now," he chuckled, looking at the nearly unconscious Chloe on the ground. "Time to go and entertain my guests," Nathan added, stepping outside the cell, the guards locking it again before they all exited the dungeon and left Chloe and Max alone, feeling desperate and hopeless.


	18. Chapter 18

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Prescott Estate, Arling of Arcadia Bay_

"Thank you for agreeing to see us, Lord Prescott," Knight-Templar Carroll said, exchanging a handshake with the arl's son after having been invited into one of the many salons of the Prescott Estate. "We had thought that we would be speaking with the arl himself..."

"My father spends most of his time in Denerim these days," Nathan replied curtly, still not looking particularly pleased about the templar intrusion upon his entertainment. "He views this as his summer estate."

"Must be a lot of fun to have all this splendor to yourself, eh?" Hadley jumped into the conversation, grinning at Nathan, but the young noble's only response was a disgusted sigh.

"Lord Nathan, we have reason to believe that you are harboring a wanted apostate," Carroll spoke up, getting to the crux of the matter. "Now, perhaps you did not know that the girl is a mage, it's a common mistake to make, but well, she's a danger to you and everyone in the household, so... we must insist on neutralizing her."

"What reason do you have to suspect that I am harboring an apostate?" Nathan glared at the two templars.

"Oh, we have our ways, little lord," Hadley chuckled, much to Nathan's growing annoyance. "Trust me, we know she's here. And it would be for the best of everyone involved if you were to cooperate... after all, the arm of the Chantry is far-reaching. It would do your family no favors at all if news were to break out that you have angered the Chantry by harboring known apostates."

"She was accompanied by a rogue templar," Carroll added. "Also a young lass. Can't mistake her mop of blue hair for anything."

"Ah, those two!" Nathan exclaimed, feigning ignorance. "They're in the dungeon cells below. They were captured for trespassing on my lands."

"Excellent," Carroll nodded, rubbing his gauntleted hands in delight. "We'll just take them and be off. I'm sure you don't want us hanging around you estate any longer than necessary."

"We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, my friends, but that is no reason for me to deny you the hospitality that servants of the Chantry deserve. There is no need for haste," Nathan spoke gallantly, offering his guests a fake smile. "Truth be told... I had those two locked up because I was hoping to... how shall I put it? I was hoping to engage in a certain form of entertainment with these attractive young ladies. And wouldn't you agree that I'm entitled to some form of compensation, my friends? After all, I have captured your fugitives and delivered them to you on a plate, yes?"

"Hmm... well, I suppose that's true," Carroll admitted reluctantly.

"Oh, come on, Carroll, little lord here has the right idea," Hadley laughed, looking very excited. "Why don't we get into the act as well? Those two certainly deserve it for leading us around in circles!"

"So the rumors are true, you definitely were spying on Caulfield back at the Circle Tower," Carroll smirked.

"Sure, and everyone knows that you were jealous of Cullen for getting to mentor Price and spending so much time with her," Hadley grinned at his fellow templar.

"Well... in that case, my friends, I believe we can all get what we want," Nathan spoke up, smiling broadly. "There's just one slight problem... I had to punish your blue-haired templar lass, so... she might not be in a condition to entertain us."

"That's alright, I would have preferred to start with Caulfield, anyway," Hadley replied eagerly. "Have her brought up from the dungeons, Lord Nathan."

"Of course, my good friends," Nathan agreed amiably, walking over to the drawing room doors to shout orders at his guards.

"Wait a moment," Carroll spoke up, raising his hand. "Let me go with your men, Lord Nathan. We're dealing with a dangerous mage here, and I would rather make sure that the guards are not taken by surprise."

"Certainly," Nathan smiled, calling out to his men once more and instructing the guards to take Carroll to the dungeons with them. "Well," he then said, turning to the stupidly grinning Hadley. "I guess there's nothing else for us to do, but to wait for our entertainment to be delivered..."

* * *

Max Caulfield sat with her back against the wall of her cell, struggling relentlessly to free herself from her bonds, but the wall was irritatingly smooth and she could not find a single sufficiently sharp edge to cut the ropes that tied her wrists together. She could not take her eyes off from Chloe's prone form in the other cell, feeling a lump of emotions forming in her throat as she thought of what Chloe had been put through, worried sick about her friend's health, even if she could make out the sounds of Chloe's shallow breathing.

 _If only I could help her with a healing spell or two,_ Max thought to herself desperately, even if she saw no way to manage that. She did not necessarily need the gag off from her mouth, as most of her mage spells did not require a verbal component, or any material component for that matter. She simply needed to open herself as a conduit for the raw energies of the Fade, to channel that power through her and to apply her will to manipulate and shape it in the way she intended to project it. A mage's staff was the key to their spellcasting, becoming like an extension of the caster, allowing to channel more and more raw energy, but so far Max had managed just fine casting spells without her staff. In the absence of her staff, however, having her hands free was absolutely necessary since her spells required certain somatic components, delicate hand movements to help shaping of the magical spell. With her hands bound, Max could not hope to cast even the simplest of spells.

 _Or could I?_ She thought to herself suddenly, recalling one of the books she had studied together with Warren and Brooke in the library of the full-fledged Circle mages, the tome cataloguing curious cases where exceptionally gifted mages had successfully managed to cast simple spells without the somatic component, simply by opening themselves to the energies of the Fade and projecting it through their will alone.

 _Well, it's not like I have anything to lose, is there?_ Max asked herself, then closing her eyes and trying to recall the techniques that had been described in the ancient tome. _Achieving a state of equilibrium… easier said than done, especially when I'm this upset. But for Chloe's sake… I need to try to calm myself down, to find the right balance. I have the will to do this, I know I do… nothing could make me more motivated than the opportunity to save Chloe's life._

Max tried to slow her breathing, keeping the rhythm of inhaling and exhaling deep and steady. She found the complete silence in the dungeon particularly helpful, allowing her to listen deeply within herself, searching for the torrent of magical energies, eager to burst through her. Eventually, she managed to sense something, deep rumbling that gradually grew in volume as Max kept sinking deeper and deeper within herself, the inner crescendo continuing to rise until the flowing energy of Fade was roaring like a thundering waterfall inside of the young mage, struggling to break free. Deeply focused on tapping into the energy of the Fade, Max was unaware that her body had become enveloped in green, faintly glowing mist, slowly spreading through the dungeon, its tendrils reaching out and licking at Chloe's naked and bloodied shoulders, Max trying to focus and shape the energy of the Fade into a healing spell, and the magic siphoning from her changed accordingly, the wounds on Chloe's back starting to close and stopping to leak blood, the scars then quickly fading and the skin becoming smooth and unblemished again under the effects of the regenerative healing mist.

With a gasp of surprise, Chloe reared her head and looked around, blinking as she noticed Max crouched on her knees in a meditative pose, eyes closed as she sat in the center of a cloud of glowing green mist, like some kind of spirit of the Fade, not merely a young woman with the gift of magic. Assuming the worst that Max had been possessed by a demon, Chloe jumped up to her feet, gripping and shaking the bars of her cell angrily. ""Max!" she shouted desperately. "Max! Damn it, Max, you promised not to surrender! Speak to me, Max!"

In response, Max began to slowly lean to her left, the green energy surrounding her starting to dissipate until she finally slumped on the floor of her cell, accompanied by Chloe's cry of despair and disbelief, the bluenette relaxing only a little when Max weakly raised her hand before speaking up. "Chloe…" she croaked weakly. "Damn it… that was… intense…"

"Max… don't ever scare me like that again…" Chloe sighed, feeling a little faint from the fright she had experienced mere moments ago. "What did you do?"

"I tried to heal you without actually being able to cast my spells…" Max replied quietly. "Did it… did it work?" she asked hesitantly.

"Did it ever!" Chloe beamed at her. "I feel great! I don't know how you did it, Max, but you're seriously awesome! Of course, we're still imprisoned, so… I don't suppose you could do something about that?"

"Sorry, Chloe…" Max whispered. "I feel seriously drained right about now."

"Alright… you just take it easy and regain your strength, my Maxima," Chloe smiled fondly at the other girl, a plan starting to form in her head. "Maybe we can still use your heroics to our advantage. I mean, they think they've beaten me within an inch of my life, right? Perhaps I can use that to jump them."

"Chloe, just please… please be careful," Max begged tiredly.

"I'll try, Max, but we're kinda in a situation where we'll probably have to take some risks," Chloe replied, busy thinking and evaluating her options. Eventually, she lowered herself down on the floor again, rolling over to lay on her side so that her naked back was facing the wall and the guards approaching the cell would not be able to see that her injuries had been magically healed. Once she was in position, all Chloe could do was to wait for the guards to return, and much to her relief, she did not have to wait long.

 _Oh… drat! Shit, shit, shit!_ She thought to herself after daring to take a quick peek at the group entering the dungeon, spotting not only two guards, but also a templar accompanying them, a development that seriously complicated their situation. "Whoa, the little lord really did a number on Price," the templar remarked, Chloe immediately recognizing Knight-Templar Carroll as he was looking down at where she pretended to lay unconscious in a pool of her own blood.

"Yeah… and it wasn't even her who killed our two fellows, it was her crazy mage friend," one of the guards replied.

"I hope that your lord hasn't gone overboard and killed Price, in which case we might have a problem," Carroll frowned, looking at Chloe, then turning back to the guards. "Open her cell. I want to check up on her." The guards exchanged brief glances and then obeyed, stepping inside the cell, Carroll following them and about to lean down towards Chloe, interrupted when Max let out a muffled growl from behind her gag, trying to distract the templar and the two guards. "Don't worry, Caulfield, we'll get to you in a moment," Carroll chuckled, turning to stare at Max, the two guards also briefly looking back and taking their eyes off Chloe.

The moment was not as opportune as what she had hoped for, but Chloe knew she had to take her chances now or never. She sprung into action by lashing out with a savage kick against the leg of one of the guards, tripping the man and making him fall backwards, flailing as the back of his head impacted violently with the hard floor, knocking him out cold. Chloe was immediately on the move, grabbing the fallen guard's shield to protect herself, unhooking a dagger from the man's belt and nimbly tossing it over into Max's cell, the young mage quickly rolling over towards it, seizing the knife in her bound hands and starting to work on cutting the rope holding her wrists tied together.

In the cell, Chloe was involved in what was purely a game of survival, even if her attackers were trying to disarm her without actually injuring her. Naked down to her waist, the torn dress hanging uselessly at her midriff, a single slash of a blade that she failed to absorb with her shield would likely prove deadly. Fortunately she had managed to pick up the unconscious guard's sword, giving her some extra help in fending off the attacks, hopefully until Max managed to cut her bindings and came to her aid with magic. In an attempt to buy more time for Max, Chloe tried to always remain on the move, but eventually the two attackers managed to corner her, about to finally disarm her. "Now, Max!" she shouted, Carroll and the guard immediately glancing at the other cell, expecting a barrage of magic coming their way, but it was merely a distraction on Chloe's part, the girl smacking the guard hard across the face with her shield before escaping from the corner of the cell.

"Argh, make yourself useful, you Maker-forsaken idiot!" Carroll growled at the guard. "Get to the mage and take that knife away from her! We don't want her to pelt us with magic!" The guard reacted slowly, still reeling from the blow to his face, but then he staggered off to unlock the doors to Max's cell, the young mage still working tirelessly to cut the ropes. Still, this had left Chloe one on one with Carroll, a slightly more manageable situation, even if Carroll had the physical strength and her lack of any sort of protective armor made her very vulnerable should Carroll decide to end this by simply killing her.

"Give it up, Price," Carroll growled at her, a particularly heavy slash forcing Chloe to drop her sword, Carroll then immediately forcing her backwards and not letting her pick up the sword. "And you, idiot… hurry up already!" he added, growling at the guard, still fumbling with the cell key.

"I've got her," the guard replied, finally opening Max's cell and rushing in to stop Max from cutting her bindings, but as he lurched forward to grab her, Max's hands suddenly came free and she slammed them together in front of her, a cone of cold jumping from her open palms and encasing the guard in solid ice, like some kind of a Wintermarch snowman.

"Fuck! No more nice guy Carroll!" the templar roared in anger, lashing at Chloe with such unexpected force that she yelped in pain, dropping the shield after the blow had almost forced her arm to pop out of its socket, nearly dislocating her shoulder. Carroll immediately followed up with the next strike, an overhead blow aimed at Chloe's unprotected chest, the blade arcing through the air and about to pierce her flesh, sever the ribcage and cleave her in two… when in the last moment, air shimmered with Max's magic and Carroll froze like paralyzed, the blade barely an inch from Chloe's torso, the templar falling victim to Max's last ditch Crushing Prison spell.

Chloe blinked, instinctively reaching out to touch her chest and then breathing a huge sigh of relief upon realizing that she was unharmed. "Maker... that was... you now own my life thrice over, Max," she shot a brief, grateful look at her friend, then returning her attention to the still paralyzed templar. Chloe quickly walked over to her fallen sword, picked it up and returned to face Carroll. "Bastard," she snarled and struck him in the face with the pommel of her sword, dropping him on the floor unconscious.

"Are you alright, Chloe?" Max asked with concern in her voice, stepping out of her cell and looking over at her friend.

"I can move and I can fight, but I don't think I'll be _alright_ before we escape from this damned place," Chloe replied, crouching down by Carroll's side and conducting a quick search. "Damn it... no phylactery."

"The guard said _templars_... meaning more than one," Max pointed out.

"Yeah... guess his pals upstairs have the phylactery," Chloe nodded, then blanching as she thought of something. "Maker, I hope I won't have to fight Cullen for it..."

"Your mentor?" Max asked quietly, giving her friend a sympathetic look when Chloe nodded in affirmation. "Let's hope not. Umm... what about this guy?" she pointed at the unconscious Carroll.

"Slitting his throat to make sure that he can't continue chasing us would probably be the smart thing to do, but... damn, I just can't do that to a helpless man, no matter how much I despise him," Chloe sighed. "Could you?" she asked, looking at Max, the young mage quickly shaking her head in denial. "That's what I figured," Chloe nodded, grabbing Carroll's shield from where it had fallen and getting back up to her feet. She was looking very awkward, naked down to her waist, her torso partially smeared with blood, longsword in one hand, heavy shield in another. "Sorry for giving you an eyeful, Maxima, but it can't be helped," she added with an inappropriately cheeky grin. "Try not to get too excited."

"Shut up, you dork," Max merely shook her head with disbelief back at Chloe, unable to stop herself from blushing. "Anyway... what's the plan?"

"We bust ourselves out of here and leg it, how does that sound?" Chloe replied. "And grab the phylactery if we can. Also, we won't get far wearing these ridiculous dresses... or what's left of mine." Max nodded in approval of the plan, the two of them quickly leaving the dungeon and climbing a set of stairs, Chloe at the front, Max close behind, ready to protect her friend with a magical barrier spell. The exit from the dungeon led them into several connected storerooms, but with no guards about, allowing them to briefly examine their surroundings, the two girls exchanging relieved stares when in one of the storerooms they came across their discarded clothes, armor and Chloe's templar forged sword and shield. Discarding any embarrassment, the two girls quickly stripped out of the dresses and donned their armor, then nodding reassuringly at each other, suddenly feeling much more confident about their chances of escaping alive.

The exit from the storerooms led them out into crossing hallways, presenting them with four directions to choose from, and no hint as to where any of them might lead. "Damn it, some people have way too much wealth on their hands to afford an estate this huge," Chloe angrily muttered to herself. "You choose, Max. I trust you to continue being my lucky charm."

"I'm so going to get us captured again," Max grumbled, them pointing left at the passage leading west, paintings of Prescott ancestors hanging on the walls, one uglier than the other. The pair quickly dashed down the corridor, only to discover that it had led them into the servant's quarters. Unfortunately, one of the elven maids who was swiping the floors, looked up at just the wrong moment and let out a shrill scream when she saw two armed strangers who definitely were not a part of the estate guards. "See, I told you so," Max sighed, the two of them turning around and running in the opposite direction before all the Prescott guards had reacted to the servant's screams.

"East then?" Chloe suggested, the pair dashing down the corridor, but they did not get very far as further down the hallway, doors suddenly opened and a trio of guards emerged, looking very surprised to see their captives armed and running about. "Crap! Well, my luck is just as bad!" Chloe cursed.

"Not to worry," Max grinned wickedly, letting her magic loose, but this time it was not aimed to hurt the guards. Instead, shards of ice burst from her hands, instantly forming a thick barrier of ice from one wall of the corridor to the other. "Let's go!" she shouted at the impressed looking Chloe, the two of them then running down the corridor leading north, leaving the guards behind, trying to chip through the ice barrier.

"It's totally not a templar thing to say, but I love your magic, Max," Chloe grinned at her friend as they arrived at a set of heavy doors, having no other options than to push them open and barge in, regardless of what awaited them. They entered a lavishly decorated dining hall, roaring fireplaces at either end of the large hall, the walls adorned with various more or less impressive hunting trophies. Lady Victoria was present in the hall, ordering around three maids as they were preparing the dinner table, all the while glancing nervously at their temperamental mistress. Unfortunately for Max and Chloe, at least four of the estate guards were also present in the dining hall, and Lady Victoria let out a terrified scream at noticing the two captives, immediately running to hide behind the backs of the advancing guards, the servants also scampering to hide.

"Damn it," Chloe muttered angrily. "I don't want to kill these people... they're innocent or simply carrying out their duty to protect their mistress."

"I don't want to hurt them either, Chloe," Max whispered, but the cautiously advancing guards did not give them much time to ponder their next step. "We'll just have to risk it, I think," the young mage said, pointing at the large arched windows directly ahead of them, with the sky outside completely dark neither of them able to guess just how high the jump would be. "It should be okay with a barrier spell," she added hopefully.

Chloe was about to reply, but at that moment, the dining hall doors to the right of them opened and in stepped Lord Nathan Prescott, accompanied by an irate looking templar whom Chloe identified as the rather unpleasant and oftentimes cruel Knight-Templar Hadley. "Seize them!" Hadley yelled, about to charge them to surely cripple Max with the magic dampening spell, forcing the young mage to act quickly. Max spread her arms wide, and at the gesture, a massive wall of flame blossomed across the dining hall, effectively splitting it in two. Her next move was to cast a magical barrier upon herself and Chloe, then quickly dashing through the roaring fire, dragging her stunned friend with her. Without further hesitation, trying to take advantage of the barrier spell while it still held, Max tugged on Chloe's arm and she understood immediately, the two girls charging towards the window and crashing through the glass, hands joined as they tumbled downwards into the darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Prescott Estate, Arling of Arcadia Bay_

"Ugh!" Chloe grunted from the hard impact with the ground following the daring jump from the second floor window, but fortunately the magical barrier had done its part in absorbing the worst of the shock. She rose to her feet immediately, feeling a little sore but otherwise unhurt, glancing at Max, a little slower to rise, but then sending Chloe a reassuring smile that she too was fine following the jump.

"Umm…" Max hesitated a little as they both turned around to look at the Prescott Estate, shouts and screams coming from it as the flames from Max's wall of fire were starting to quickly consume the upper floor.

"Yeah…" Chloe rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Maybe fire wasn't the best option indoors? Not like we had much time to think, though."

"And I didn't really have anything else at my disposal, Chloe," Max gave her an apologetic stare. "The ice barrier would not have covered a hall that large." She gave another glance at the burning estate, struggling with indecision. "We should help… do something… but if we do, they'll just imprison us again afterwards. But to leave innocent people to die… this will be used as just another example to persecute the mages."

"The people should be able to escape, Max, I don't think the fire cut off their exit. I think we should be on our way, because once they leave the estate…" Chloe began to speak hastily, then falling silent as she noticed a figure clad in templar armor, standing by the window of the upper floor, flames roaring in the background. "Shit! Is that idiot going to jump?"

"Not if I can help it," Max growled, launching a spell shaped like a projectile of ice that struck Hadley across his chest and tossed him backwards, out of their view. "Now we can go."

"What about the phylactery?" Chloe asked, not moving from her spot. "Do you think he's dead?" she pointed at the upstairs window, Max responding with a shrug. "Shit, maybe it would have been better to let him jump, then we could have grabbed the phylactery from him…"

"Uh… good point. I can't think clearly anymore... sorry, Chloe," Max sighed, casting a nervous glance at one of the side entrances into the estate, the doors being thrown wide open and groups of panicking servants and only slightly less frightened guards began to emerge en masse. "And we can't go back inside to grab the phylactery, so yeah… let's just hope the templars are done for."

"As much as I'd like to believe it, I sincerely doubt that's true," Chloe sighed, taking Max's hand as they turned around to swiftly flee from the scene. "I'm sure that Cullen would have been amongst those hunting us, and I didn't see him at the estate. Which is… kind of a relief, because I honestly don't want to fight him. Carroll, Hadley, they're both cruel assholes from what I learned about them in the Circle, but Cullen… he's a kind and decent person."

"Well, hopefully we can make it to Jader and get onboard of a ship… then maybe we can stop worrying about the templars," Max responded, letting Chloe drag her along as they ran, the taller girl by far the fitter of the two, having been cooped up in the Circle Tower for five long years hadn't done Max's physical endurance any favors.

"Oh, by the way, Max…" Chloe added, chuckling even though she was a little breathless from running, now and then glancing back at the Prescott Estate, relieved to see that a large crowd of people had formed in front of the house, having escaped the flames, now busy trying to put out the fires as chasing after their captives was no longer on their minds. "When we were fleeing from Denerim, I remember making a joke that at this point even burning down a noble's estate wouldn't make our situation worse…"

"And then we went and did just that," Max quipped.

"Yup," Chloe nodded with a goofy grin on her face. "Let's just hope I wasn't wrong in claiming that this won't make our situation worse…"

* * *

The grim-faced templar stood a little aside from the nervously chattering servants of the household as well as the Prescott guards, surrounding their lord and his fiancée, Lady Victoria hovering over Lord Nathan, looking helpless in her attempts to relieve Nathan's suffering from the horrible burns he had sustained from the wall of magical fire. The templar's own concerns had nothing to do with affairs of the Prescott household, however, after he had spent the past few minutes listening to the wheezing and the death rattle of his fellow, now lying still at his feet.

Carroll reached downwards, searching for the little pouch at Hadley's belt, opening it and letting out a sigh of relief when he noticed the red glow of the phylactery inside, safely pocketing it amongst his belongings. Carroll did not know what exactly had happened upstairs, but looking at the burning estate, he felt like he had a pretty good idea. The mage had gone completely crazy and had lost control, slinging spells around like a madwoman. Truly, this was why the templars existed, to bring maleficarum like Caulfield under control. Anyone who dared to argue this obvious truth needed to be brought here to the Arling of Arcadia Bay and confronted with the fire ravaged Prescott Estate. Or perhaps even locked in the same building with a rampaging, out of control mage.

Hadley had crawled out as the last survivor from the burning estate, collapsing across the doorstep, groaning in pain from his burns, wheezing as he was suffocating with smoke filling his lungs. Carroll himself had barely made it out alive, and but the unconscious guards that he had abandoned in the dungeon were certain goners. Hadley then took his sweet time slowly expiring before Carroll's eyes, ranting in delirium from the horrible pain, begging Carroll to take vengeance on both Price and Caulfield, as if Carroll intended to do anything else. As Hadley's burned trachea began to cause him too much pain and he started to plead with Carroll to grant him merciful death, Carroll simply walked off and stood away from his dying fellow, unwilling to break his templar vows which did not allow for killing of another templar, unless they were declared traitors like Price.

Looking over at where young Lord Prescott twisted on the ground, screaming while his burns were being treated, Carroll felt his anger surging at how he had allowed to become distracted by the sick and perverse games of humiliation that Nathan had offered, and Hadley had agreed to all too eagerly. Now, Hadley was dead and Nathan was crippled by the magical flames of Caulfield's spell, the left side of his face and probably of his entire body horribly scarred for life, a fitting punishment in Carroll's eyes, not that someone as eager to become the next arlessa as Lady Victoria would care about Nathan's physical appearance.

At one point, Carroll had felt tempted to walk over to Nathan in a purposeful stride and put the worm out of his misery, eager to blame their host for the events that had led to the escape of their prey. Still, it was unlikely that even a templar could get away with an outright murder, and a hysterical Lady Victoria would have probably ordered the Prescott guards to tear him to pieces. So, instead of spending any more time listening to Lord Nathan's pathetic whimpering, Knight-Templar Carroll turned around and proceeded towards the stables to retrieve his steed.

It appeared that in their haste to flee, Price and Caulfield hadn't found the time to steal a horse, and this opened new possibilities for Carroll, the templar confident that he now knew where the two girls were heading, and the glowing phylactery in his pocket agreed with his guess. _And the next time we meet, I will not play any games or allow anything to distract me,_ he thought to himself, riding swiftly along the road connecting the Arling of Arcadia Bay with the city of Highever. _I'm simply going to gut those two bitches where they stand._

* * *

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Highever, Ferelden_

Knight-Captain Rylock, formerly of the Denerim chantry, stood by the window of an abandoned house in the trade district of Highever, time and time again cautiously peering out in the darkness at the household across the little square, belonging to the parents of an escaped apostate from the Circle of Magi, Maxine Caulfield. Following her dramatic storming out from the templar barracks in Denerim, Rylock had rode straight to Highever, firmly certain that Caulfield and Price would inevitably come this way, and then she would have her chance to pounce upon the escaped apostate and the traitorous templar. She had been in Highever for five days now, and still the girls had not shown up, but Rylock's resolve and conviction in the soundness of her plan never wavered.

When she arrived in Highever and announced herself at the local chantry, she was relieved to discover that Tavish had not sent any notification to apprehend her, perhaps hoping that she would come back to her senses and return to Denerim, or simply having forgotten about it all, too busy boozing and whoring. The knight-lieutenant at the Highever chantry informed Rylock that he had already assigned templars to keep constant watch on the Price and Caulfield households at the behest of Knight-Templar Cullen. Not wanting any soft hearted templars to stand in the way of her quest for vengeance, Rylock had pulled rank on the knight-lieutenant and made him recall his templars, leaving the surveillance of the parental homes of the fugitives to Rylock alone.

After five wasted nights of watching the Caulfield household, however, it appeared as if something out of the ordinary might occur on this particular evening. It was between three to two hours before midnight when she noticed someone approaching the entrance to the Caulfield home, trying to remain stealthy, but not quite succeeding at it. Having spotted the templar armor, Rylock immediately assumed that it was the disgraced Price girl, only then realizing that it could not be her, the figure much more bulky and taller than the slender girl who was yet to turn twenty. _That's one of the Kinloch Hold templars,_ Rylock realized, watching the man knock on the doors and wait for an answer. _But why is he here, all alone? Why is he going straight to Caulfield's parents instead of reporting to the chantry and requesting support? This is… strange._

The door eventually opened and Ryan Caulfield stepped out, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the templar on his doorstep, starting to argue with the man. Rylock frowned to herself as she noticed the templar gesturing at the hilt of his sword as if to make a point, then pushing Maxine's father back inside before following him and slamming the doors shut behind his back.

 _What was that all about?_ Rylock thought to herself, feeling very much confused. _At first I thought that maybe it was another traitor, telling the parents to warn their daughters to stay away… but the girl's father clearly was not happy with whatever was said there. And why go inside if all he wanted to do was to warn them? No… something must be up. I better sit here and watch…_ the deserted Knight-Captain decided, continuing to observe the view outside, feeling more and more confident that her hour of revenge was at hand.

* * *

"Just a little bit more, Chloe," Max pleaded with her friend, Chloe's arm slung around her shoulder weakly, the other girl left with barely any strength to make another step. "I can already see the lights of the city from here… can you?" she spoke encouragingly, forcing Chloe to look up, hoping that the view of the lights coming from the towers of Castle Cousland, rising above the fortifications, would inspire Chloe and give her the strength that she badly needed to continue.

"Ugh…" Chloe grunted, struggling to even lift her feet, feeling like she was traversing quicksand instead of ordinary sand on the seaside path running up to the north gate leading into the city, the very same path they had taken on their walk to the beach on that fateful day when Max's magic had emerged for the first time. "Somehow I had imagined our return... a little more… I don't know… enjoyable?" she just about managed, bravely marching on, albeit slowly.

The journey from the Prescott lands to Highever had taken them four days altogether. Of course, they should have stolen a horse from the Prescott stables, they both realized that soon afterwards, but in the heat of the moment, making haste to get away, somehow it had slipped their minds, but neither of them ever brought it up to blame the other for this oversight. Chloe had briefly considered stealing a horse from one of the farmsteads they stopped at during their slow trek to Highever, but it was enough for Max to give her one disapproving stare and Chloe immediately abandoned the idea. And in truth, she did agree with Max, a horse was a valuable commodity and the fortunes of these farmers depended on the backs of their steeds, so Chloe could not bring herself to inflict financial ruin upon the people who were only too happy to share their table with them, sometimes putting them up for the night, and giving them some food for the road, all for a few measly gold coins.

Health wise, Chloe was not doing all that well, but fortunately it seemed as if the withdrawal symptoms had reached a certain stage of absolutely horrible at which they at least did not become any worse. Chloe became exhausted very quickly during their travel, sweat pouring down her face from the merest physical exercise. Headaches, nausea, vomiting became a part of her everyday existence, but she still refused to complain, proudly marching on to the point of collapsing from exhaustion. Getting enough restful sleep at night was another challenge, Chloe's entire body shaking so badly that even if she managed to fall asleep, it was hardly the healthy rest for either her or Max. Fortunately, the two girls had already worked out a cure for this particular problem, Chloe finding it possible to sleep calmly only in Max's tight and caring embrace, the pair wordlessly cuddling up against each other every night, Max wrapping her arms around Chloe and holding her as if in a protective cocoon. Certainly, it was hard for them both to share such close physical contact without becoming sexually aroused, but at least in Chloe's case, that also distracted her from the horrible withdrawal symptoms. By now, they were very much aware of their mutual romantic attraction for each other, but somehow they appeared hesitant and almost frightened of taking the next step, at least not yet, not when they felt so close to escaping, as if unwilling to tempt their fate.

"You know, Max," Chloe spoke, breathing heavily, as they struggled up the final stretch of the path towards the gates. "If they're waiting for us... I probably won't be of much use in a fight..."

"You're not alone, Chloe," Max reminded her gently.

"Yeah, but the templars kinda have... an unfair advantage over you," Chloe managed weakly. They were finally coming within the city gates, illuminated by the massive braziers on either side of the road, forged in the smithy of Chloe's father. A group of guards stood by the gate, but they obviously did not consider two young girls a threat and did not move to stop them from entering, one of the men making a derogatory comment about Chloe being drunk, but nobody paid that remark any attention whatsoever.

"Shall we go see your dad first?" Max asked once they had made it into the city proper, proceeding with caution, looking around for any signs of templar spies.

"No, let's head straight for your parent's house," Chloe replied. "You haven't had any contact with them for many years, while I at least exchanged letters with my dad."

"Thanks, Chloe," Max gave her friend a heartfelt smile, feeling grateful that Chloe had picked up the obvious longing in her voice.

"Yes, well... if they templars have set a trap, they're probably watching both of our houses. They're kinda close by, anyway," Chloe muttered darkly. She was, however, moving with more purpose now, the excitement of being back home somehow managing to offset some of the worst symptoms of her withdrawal.

"Or maybe we've managed to give them a slip," Max suggested hopefully.

"Maybe... but Max, we still shouldn't risk it more than we're already doing," Chloe spoke up warningly.

"What do you mean, Chloe?" Max asked.

"I mean that we can't remain here as long as we both would dearly want to," Chloe explained. "We would endanger not only ourselves, but also our parents. And I don't want anything bad to happen to them, such as the Chantry condemning them for aiding us. What we're doing could get them into big trouble..."

"Damn... you're right, Chloe, I hadn't even considered that," Max's face fell as she sighed deeply. "I guess I was just so happy from the thought of seeing mom and dad again. But surely we can stay for a little while? It would feel wrong to just beg them for the gold for ship passage and then immediately run off again."

"Sure, we can stay for half an hour, or maybe a bit more... I won't need that much with my dad," Chloe smiled at her friend, trying to lift her spirits. "Anyway, here we are... the estate of the amazing Caulfields," she spoke, nodding at the neat two-storied log cottage across a little square ahead of them.

"Oh... Great Mabari, I thought I'd never see it again..." Max spoke in a trembling voice, wiping a few stray tears away from her cheeks. "It looks exactly the same as on the day when they dragged me away..."

"After that day, your house became to me like some kind of a temple of sadness," Chloe said quietly, then smiling as Max squeezed her hand comfortingly. "But it won't feel like that anymore," she added, squeezing back. "Let's go, Max. I can see candlelight, so your parents must still be up and about."

They ran across the little square as fast as Chloe could manage, Max wasting no time in starting to bang on the front door, Chloe still a little concerned as she looked around as if not truly believing that this wasn't all a part of a templar trap for them. Finally, the doors slowly opened and Max let out a strangled cry of happiness as she literally tackled her dad, throwing herself into Ryan's embrace, the family patriarch looking absolutely stunned to see his mage daughter on their doorstep.

"Max? Maxine... is that truly you?" he gasped, Max pulling away slightly and allowing her dad to take a better look at her in the sparse candlelight. "Maker, just look at you now... you have grown up to become a beautiful young woman," he said, shaking his head in disbelief, looking overwhelmed.

"Aww, thanks dad," Max gave Ryan an almost impossibly broad grin. "Where's mom? I want to hug her too!"

"Umm... yes, well, mom isn't here right now, Max," Ryan explained, slightly hesitantly. "She's... at the bakery. We have a big order for upcoming celebrations at the castle, so she stayed behind to finish up."

"Oh... darn," Max sighed deeply. She remembered that on quite a few occasions her parents had been forced to work through the entire night whenever there were some large events held at Castle Cousland, so this was not that unusual. Some of her fondest childhood memories were of having Chloe over for sleepover while her parents spent the night at the bakery, the two girls having the entire house to themselves. "That's just too bad. Dad... we might not be able to stay for long..."

"What do you mean, Max?" Ryan frowned. "You're in some kind of trouble, aren't you? The templars came by, asking about you, claiming that you had escaped from the Circle... did you?"

"I had to, dad... or else they would have turned me into a Tranquil," Max explained hastily. "It's almost worse than being killed. Chloe... well, she saved me and we fled together..."

"Yes, umm... they kind of want us both dead," Chloe added awkwardly. "Sorry... I may have joined the Templar Order with the intent to free Max from the Circle, but... I never wanted to get us both into this much trouble. Then again, if I hadn't made that choice, both Max and I would have been dead by now. We are alive only because we've stuck together."

"It's all true, dad," Max nodded sincerely. "If not for Chloe, I would be either dead or a drooling zombie with dull eyes and an empty smile."

"Then I suppose I should thank you for looking out for Max, Chloe," Ryan said, turning towards Chloe and smiling at her. "When the templars told us about what the both of you had allegedly done, your mother and I simply did not know what to think..."

"I'll make sure to stop by the bakery and set the record straight with mom as well before we have to leave Highever," Max sighed. "It's just a shame we can't stay a little longer, but there are many good reasons why that would be a horrible idea. We wouldn't have risked coming here and endangering you guys in the first place... it would have been far wiser for us to get to safety first and then send you a letter."

"This is... all very alarming, Max," Ryan gave his daughter a deeply concerned stare. "You are my daughter, and I trust your word, but I am greatly worried... if you say that it was too risky for you to come here, why did you do it then?"

"Because we need gold to buy a passage on ship from Jader," Max explained, her father's eyes widening in surprise.

"Yeah, we kinda need to get out of Ferelden," Chloe nodded. "Perhaps we can lose the templars in the Free Marches. I wouldn't want to run as far as Tevinter... that place is pretty wicked and dangerous."

"How much do you need?" Ryan asked in a determined voice, walking over to the kitchen pantry and reaching for the proverbially literal cookie jar on the highest shelf.

"Not sure," Chloe shrugged. "I mean, we've never fled on a ship across the Waking Sea before. What do you think, Ryan?"

"I think that we can spare fifty sovereigns which should be enough," Ryan replied, searching through the cookie jar, gathering the coins and counting them before passing them over to Max.

"Thanks, dad," Max sniffled, pocketing the coins away before walking up to her father and hugging him again. "I really hate to rush in like this and then running away again, but... we really have to. I hope that at least seeing me alive and well brought you some relief."

"It certainly did, my precious Max," Ryan smiled at his daughter. "But surely you don't have to leave just yet?" he added, sounding a little nervous as he cast a quick glance towards the doors leading into the living room.

"Is something wrong, dad?" Max asked, frowning as she looked at her father, suddenly feeling very suspicious. "Is... is it about mom? She's not really at the bakery, is she? Has something happened to her?"

"Max... you don't understand..." Ryan replied weakly, at the same time as they heard a tiny creak from the doors behind Max opening. The young mage turned around swiftly, wincing as she watched a pillar of radiant energy descending upon her, the feeling like a cartload of cobblestones collapsing atop of her, that suffocating sensation when her magic was suppressed and dampened by the templar abilities.

"You're quite pathetic at deception, Ryan, even when the survival of your wife depends on it," the templar in question growled as he stepped forward, dragging Vanessa with him, holding the tip of his blade against her throat.

"Carroll!" Chloe snarled, drawing her weapon. "Release her, you asshole!"

"Ah, Chloe, so passionate," Carroll laughed. "You thought you had left me for dead at the Prescott Estate, didn't you? Well, sorry to disappoint you, though perhaps you will be happy to hear that Hadley died in the fire that Caulfield started. But enough chatter," he snapped, glaring at Chloe. "Your sword, Price. Place it on the ground and kick it towards me, or else the lovely Vanessa will find her head separated from her shoulders." Max's mother let out a whimper at the threat, pale and mortified from fear, close to losing herself to utter panic.

"Chloe..." Max whispered, looking over to her friend.

"Shit!" Chloe swore, left with no choice but to obey. She placed her sword on the ground and pushed it with her foot over to Carroll. However, when the templar bent down to pick it up, Ryan, closest to the hostile templar, dashed forward and grabbed Vanessa, pulling his wife free from Carroll's weakened hold on her. The templar reacted quickly, swirling around and striking swift and true.

Max let out a heart-wrenching scream of despair as she watched Carroll burying his sword in her father's unprotected back.


	20. Chapter 20

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Highever, Ferelden_

With an angry growl, Chloe launched herself forward, leaping to grab her sword from the ground before Carroll had managed to pick it up, immediately crouching in a defensive posture as the other templar moved to attack her. In the dungeon of the Prescott Estate, Carroll had overpowered her easily; now with Chloe swimming high on rage and adrenaline, she raised her shield to deflect the blow with apparent ease. Chloe went on the counterattack almost immediately, the strength behind the slash of her sword surprising Carroll and driving him backwards.

The two traded blows for a good while, appearing evenly matched, but Carroll eventually began to push Chloe back, inch by inch, his superior strength gradually starting to show, the other templar also realizing that he had to finish Chloe off before the effect of magic dampening dissipated from Max and she could aid Chloe with her spells. Realizing the same, Chloe fought hard to hold her ground, waiting for Max to recover, but once she had shaken off the dampening effects Chloe noticed her friend jumping into action by casting one healing spell after another trying to stabilize her injured father. Not for a moment did Chloe feel betrayed that Max had not chosen to help her first, however... clearly, Ryan's condition was very serious, and judging from the desperate, near hysterical sobbing from Max and Vanessa, as well as from how the pool of blood surrounding Ryan's prone form was expanding, Max's healing magic had come moments too late.

Listening to the heart-wrenching cries of the young woman she loved with her entire being, something snapped inside of Chloe, filling her with white hot rage. With a savage cry, she blocked Carroll's next slash and once again began to drive him back with heavy, vicious swings of her sword. When sparring with her fellow templars, Chloe had learned that she could only prevail when relying on her quick wits, finesse and accuracy, but on this instance she abandoned all of these qualities, unleashing pure brute strength that was fueled by her anger, landing one vicious blow after another that drove the surprised Carroll back. The swings fell in rapid succession, Carroll deflecting one with his sword, but he failed to bring his arm up to parry the next slash, Chloe's blade biting deep into his wrist and almost severing it cleanly. Carroll let out a scream of pain and disbelief, looking on as his severed sword hand hung from his wrist, held only by a few loose tendons and patches of skin.

Chloe was onto her debilitated, defeated opponent like a hawk seizing on its prey, Carroll having dropped his shield to close the fingers of his left hand around the bleeding stump of his right arm, leaving himself exposed to the coup de grace. "Die, asshole!" Chloe yelled, driving her sword upward and through the weak spot in the armpit of Carroll's armor, the blade severing major arteries as it emerged from the templar's shoulder and went as far as biting into the side of his neck. Carroll gargled helplessly, his blood spilling everywhere, on the floor, the furniture, Chloe herself, but finally he went down, twitching before expiring shortly after.

"Max..." Chloe whispered, running up to her friend and kneeling by her side where Max and Vanessa sat next to an unmoving Ryan. "Is... is he..."

"I was too late, Chloe..." Max sobbed, briefly brushing against her friend but then leaning into the embrace of her mother, Vanessa looking utterly shell-shocked as she wrapped her arms around her child.

"I'm... sorry..." Chloe muttered, lowering her eyes, knowing all too well that any words from her mouth right now would be inadequate. She wanted to say that they should have never come to Highever, but the gold coins in the pouch at Max's belt presented a despicably rational counterargument that Chloe could not brush off easily. They both had agreed to come here, even suspecting strongly that they were heading into a trap, but they had both thought that they were only risking their own lives, never expecting that it might be one of their parents who would end up paying the ultimate price for their careless boldness.

"I'm sorry, mom," Max whispered in her mother's shoulder. "I show up five years later... and all I do is take away the only person left in your life..."

"Don't say that, poppet... please, don't say that," Vanessa sobbed, holding Max tightly against herself, running her hands through her daughter's hair. "I would never blame you for anything, and neither would your father. Both of us would risk our lives to do whatever it took to help you... as any parents should do for their children..."

As Max and Vanessa continued to hold each other, simply sobbing out their grief, Chloe watched them for a while, tears pooling in her eyes and running down her cheeks, sharing in their sorrows. Still, she was the first to rise from the floor, realizing that just because Carroll was dead, it didn't meant that they were out of danger yet. After all, Carroll might have contacted the chantry of Highever and backup might be on the way. Not to mention that they still had not encountered Cullen, something that worried Chloe greatly. _Still, it would be very helpful if Carroll had been the one carrying the phylactery,_ she thought to herself, approaching Carroll's corpse, when suddenly the doors to the Caulfield residence was thrown wide open and another armored figure entered.

Blindly white light radiated from the arriving templar's palm and struck Max yet again as the young mage was turning towards the invader, the magic dampening spell once again making her double over from the uncomfortable sensation as if being crushed by a load of bricks. "About time you two showed up," the templar announced, Chloe surprised to hear a female voice, blanching from fear when she recognized who was the ruthless killer sent after them. "I had just about grown bored waiting for you. But I'm glad you proved as predictable as I expected."

"Knight-Captain Rylock!" Chloe hissed, raising her sword, though with her rage and adrenaline depleted and Max's magic once again neutralized, she did not feel at all confident about their chances against the woman that she and her fellow templar recruits had dubbed 'the Butcher of Denerim'.

"That's right, Price," Rylock nodded, stepping further into the room. "At least you haven't forgotten my name, even if you have forgotten everything else about what it means to be a templar. You have accompanied me on my hunting missions, Price... you know what's about to happen to you and your little mage friend."

"You won't find us easy prey like the countless mage children you've slaughtered, bitch," Chloe spat angrily, hoping to buy some time with an exchange of insults to let Max recover. Unfortunately, Rylock was wise to her game and glided towards her smoothly, sword poised to strike.

"Ser Rylock!" came another shout from the entrance to Caulfield residence, yet another templar entering the household. _Great Mabari, what is this, some kind of a secret gathering of all the templars in Ferelden?_ Chloe groaned to herself, recognizing Cullen's voice, feeling slightly relieved and hopeful, for she knew that her old friend had never approved of Rylock's methods. "Stand down, Ser Rylock!" Cullen added with a stern warning.

"That's Knight-Captain Rylock to you, boy," the female templar growled, stepping away from Chloe and turning to face Cullen.

"Knight-Templar Cullen," he replied, not showing any fear. "And no, you are no longer Knight-Captain, Ser Rylock. Knight-Commander Tavish told me everything. You have disgraced yourself and have been stripped from rank. You are as much a traitor to the Order as Knight-Templar Price."

"Don't you dare to liken me to this little mage-loving slut!" Rylock glowered at Cullen. "Once I neutralize these two and reveal the Knight-Commander's negligence to Grand Cleric Elemena, he will be arrested, and I will be promoted in his stead!"

"You truly are insane, Ser Rylock," Cullen replied sternly, drawing his sword. "I am here to perform my duty towards Maxine Caulfield and Knight-Templar Price, but you appear to be standing in my way, Ser Rylock. Which means that I will have to deal with you first."

"Bring it on, boy," Rylock growled, advancing on Cullen, but blasting Max with another burst of energy to further dampen her magic before attacking the younger templar.

"Chloe!" Cullen called out when his and Rylock's swords met. "Help me bring her down, and I will do what I can to convince Greagoir to show you mercy!"

"Will you also dissuade him from killing Max or turning her into a Tranquil?" Chloe asked, pulling both Max and Vanessa towards the corner of the room with her, as far as possible from the two busy combatants, wisely staying away from the deadly flashing swords.

"You know perfectly well that I can't make such a promise, Chloe," Cullen responded, busy parrying the disgraced Knight-Captain's precision strikes.

"Then why should I help you?" Chloe challenged.

"Because it's the right thing to do!" Cullen called out, breathless, being constantly kept on the defensive.

"Chloe, Max... children," Vanessa spoke up quietly as the two templars continued to battle on the opposite side of the room. "This is your chance to flee while they're fighting! You have to use it!"

"I won't abandon you, mom, not now," Max shook her head with determination.

"If you remain behind only to be killed, then your father would have died in vain," Vanessa replied with conviction, trying to persuade her daughter. "He would not have wanted that. He would have told you the same as what I'm telling you, children... run, you have your entire lives ahead of you!"

"But... what about you, mom?" Max asked, fighting a painful internal battle, fraught with indecision.

"I will be fine, poppet... remember, they don't want me," Vanessa whispered, hugging her daughter one more time. "Know this... the only way we can ever see each other again is if you flee now... go! **Go!** "

Max almost jumped as if jolted by lightning, Chloe grabbing her hand and tugging upon it, while at the same time nodding her gratitude to Vanessa. The two templars were busy fighting over the corpse of Carroll, Rylock probably having chosen to do so in order to prevent them from grabbing the phylactery, but it had left the two girls free access to the exit, an opportunity which they now took to quickly dart across the room and out of the house, ignoring all the warnings of the fighting templars that their escape would be very short-lived...

* * *

Cullen grunted with effort, Rylock slowly but surely making her superior swordsmanship tell, inflicting one nick after another upon him, making the young Knight-Templar seriously reconsider whether he shouldn't have simply helped Rylock in her revenge against Chloe and her mage friend. Still, the thought of aiding in such a brutal execution as was Rylock's usual style left him with a bad taste in his mouth, even if it meant that he was likely going to be skewered by the disgraced Knight-Captain's sword.

After their fight had already lasted for almost a quarter of an hour, with both combatants tiring, Cullen bleeding from several shallow wounds as Rylock mercilessly wore him down, the fight was suddenly decided by an unexpected development. Vanessa Caulfield stepped up behind the Knight-Captain with a heavy iron fire poker in her arms, then smashing it with all her strength against the side of Rylock's helmeted head. The former Knight-Captain's eyes immediately rolled at the back of her head, the blow heavy enough to drop her like a sack of potatoes, Rylock collapsing on the floor unconscious.

"Thank you, Lady Caulfield," Cullen said sternly, but politely. "I will have to ask you to put that poker away now."

"Or what?" Vanessa glared at him.

"Or I will have to take it from you with force," Cullen replied. "I will do my best not to cause you any harm, though."

"Then at least it seems as if I have made the right choice in which one of you to help," Vanessa said tiredly, the iron poker falling to the floor. "You, at least, appear not beyond mercy."

"I would like to think so," Cullen nodded at her, retrieving a piece of rope and quickly binding Rylock's hands behind her back, then tying her legs at the ankles, leaving her helpless to be apprehended by the templars of Highever. He then rose to his feet and approached Carroll's bloody corpse, after a brief search retrieving Max's phylactery, focusing on the faint glow and sensing that the girls had not gotten anywhere too far just yet.

"And yet, you plan to take my daughter from me," Vanessa said bitterly. "Now that my husband lies dead by a templar's hand, I will be left with nothing."

"I am sorry, Lady Caulfield," Cullen bowed his head. "I do not relish this duty, yet still, I must follow my oaths. I wish it didn't have to be this way. As I understand, young Max is a good person and a loyal friend to Chloe."

"Then why does she deserve to die? Or be made into one of those lifeless people, the Tranquil?" Vanessa demanded, clenching her fists angrily.

"Because she broke the rules and escaped from the Circle Tower," Cullen replied, though if he was completely honest with himself, the answer did not satisfy him, not after what had happened recently. Everything that he had learned about Maxine Caulfield suggested that there was not a shred of wickedness, malevolence or thirst for power in the girl, she had simply escaped the tower because she understandably wanted to avoid the grim fate that the Knight-Commander had decided for her. And yet, that decision had been made largely on the testimonies of Carroll and Hadley, two templars who had proved their true colors by attacking him, who against his orders had sought to kill the two fugitives instead of bringing them back to the Circle. Perhaps their testimony should not be taken for granted in light of everything that had happened. Still... to decide the fate of Chloe and Max was not up to him. He was merely a Knight-Templar, the lowest rank amongst the full-fledged members of the Order. He had his duties that he had to follow to the best of his ability. The best he could offer to Max and Chloe was to bring them to Kinloch Hold alive and then make an impassioned speech in their defense, hoping that Greagoir would reconsider.

"If that is your templar justice, then I have nothing else to say to you," Vanessa cried, wiping her cheeks as she glared at Cullen angrily. "Leave this house, now! You and your kind are not welcome here!"

"I... I'm sorry for your loss, Lady Caulfield," Cullen sighed, shaking his head as he cast a brief glance at the prone form of Ryan Caulfield. "I wish it hadn't ended like this..."

"Go! Leave this place!" Vanessa snapped, grabbing a vase from the nearby table and flinging it at Cullen, but it missed by half a yard, the templar sighing again and leaving the grief-stricken household, shaking his head as a terrible sense of regret began to slowly build in his stomach.

* * *

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_King's Road, Ferelden_

"Come on! Faster!" Chloe muttered, tugging at the reins of the horse they had stolen from one of the inns of Highever, Max not in the kind of mental state to raise any sort of moral objections this time. Chloe would have preferred to steal one of the templar horses because they were of a much better breed, but they had all tied their horses somewhere out of sight before approaching the Caulfield residence on foot. "Max? Max, how are you holding up?" she asked worriedly, feeling that the other girl's hold on her midriff was weaker than usually, fearing that Max would either fall from the horse or decide to throw herself off, losing herself to her grief.

"Chloe... I got my own father killed..." Max sobbed against her back. "How do you think I'm holding up..."

 _Yeah, fair enough, that was a moronic question,_ Chloe sighed to herself. "Max, I... there's no way for me to express how sorry I am for what happened," she began to speak softly. "But you didn't get your dad killed. That bastard Carroll did it."

"Sure... but he wouldn't have done that if we weren't there... walking into his trap like the idiots we were," Max snapped angrily.

"Max... if you're guilty for your father's death, then I am also guilty of killing my mother," Chloe sighed.

"What? No, your mom died giving birth to you, Chloe," Max shook her head defiantly. "How could that be your fault?"

"Because if I hadn't been there in her womb, then she would still be alive, Max," Chloe replied simply.

"But that's such a silly thing to say, Chloe... you couldn't have known what would happen!" Max protested.

"Yes, and how could you have predicted what would happen if we came to Highever, Max?" Chloe said with a sad smile on her lips. "Don't you see how misplaced and destructive such guilt can be? I spent many years observing the loneliness of my dad, and it made me start blaming myself for my mom's death and for my dad's unhappiness... I shouldn't have blamed myself, Max, and I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened. Carroll was at fault... and he is now dead. You should grieve for your father, Max... but you shouldn't blame yourself."

"I... thank you, Chloe," Max whispered, strengthening her hold on her best friend's midriff. "You're probably right... but it will probably take lots and lots of hard work to convince myself that I have nothing to feel guilty for, you know?"

"Oh, I know, my dear Maxima," Chloe smiled serenely. "I know that only too well."

After riding for another quarter of an hour in the darkness of the King's Road, Max spoke up again, this time in a more determined voice. "Chloe... I have made a decision," she said with firm resolution.

"Uh-oh... what is it, Max?" Chloe asked, feeling slightly alarmed.

"Chloe, I'm tired of constantly being on the run," Max spoke firmly. "I believe it is time to end this."

"Wait, what? You want us to turn ourselves in?" Chloe blinked in astonishment.

"No, no..." Max chuckled dryly. "Tell me, what do you think happened back in Highever after we fled, Chloe?"

"Well, we left Cullen and Rylock in a bloody swordfight, so one of them is probably dead... hopefully Rylock," Chloe mused. "The survivor would have picked up the phylactery from Carroll's corpse and they're probably chasing after us as we speak."

"Exactly," Max nodded. "And I say we make a stand and take our chances. I feel like I'm done running."

"You mean..." Chloe gasped, briefly seized with fear and indecision. "Like we stop the horse in the middle of the road and just wait for them to catch up? And then... what happens, happens?"

"Just like that, Chloe," Max replied quietly, but resolutely. "One last stand. We put our fates in the hands of the Great Mabari in the Sky, or something... let the greater powers decide if we... if we are meant to be."

"I... are you sure about this, Max?" Chloe asked in a trembling voice. "I will go along with it, but only if you're certain."

"I'm certain, Chloe," Max replied. "I'm certain that I want this to end, one way or another."

"Then we shall do as you say, Max," Chloe nodded, bringing their horse to a halt when she saw the next pair of large iron braziers on both sides of the cobblestone road. While Chloe found a place where to tie down their horse, Max employed her magic to light the braziers, the two girls then standing side by side, holding hands as they listened for the sounds of a distant rider approaching coming closer and closer...


	21. Chapter 21

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_King's Road, Ferelden_

Chloe felt Max's grip on her hand becoming firmer as a solitary armored rider appeared in the view, their templar armor visible in the light of the braziers. "It's Cullen," Chloe whispered, recognizing the survivor of the templar duel, but not necessarily feeling more relieved just because they didn't have to deal with Rylock. She desperately did not want to fight her friend and mentor, but if he intended to take Max back to the Circle, then she was prepared to fight him to the death.

Cullen dismounted a safe distance away from them, carefully walking up to the two fugitives, keeping his weapon sheathed for now. As he came into the range of Max's magic, a burst of energy once again left his hand and struck Max, leaving her doubled over and close to throwing up from the unpleasant sensations. "Damn it... I'm seriously getting tired about everyone doing this!" she wheezed, giving Cullen an angry glare.

"My apologies, Maxine," Cullen looked at her, sounding genuine as he spoke. "I know that you are not a corrupt maleficar... in fact, everything points to you being someone of sound moral character, a young girl with good control over her immense magical potential, yet I must ask you to forgive me for maintaining my cautiousness."

"And still, even if Max has done nothing wrong, you want to bring her back for Greagoir to execute," Chloe said challengingly, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"You know our duty, Chloe," Cullen sighed. "I can't decide her guilt. That would be me overstepping my bounds."

"Cullen, I've watched Max using her magic without ever losing control," Chloe replied passionately. "The demons will never be able to corrupt her, she's not that sort of a person! She poses no risk to anyone... we have hurt only those who had harmed us first," she added, neglecting to mention the events at the Prescott Estate. In truth, she didn't even know if any innocents had perished in the magical fire that Max had caused, and after what had been done to them by Lord Nathan Prescott, she believed that they were well entitled to burn down his house and then some more.

"That might even be true," Cullen shrugged. "But are you suggesting that I take your word for it, and just let you both leave? That would be a dereliction of my duty. Surely you understand that I cannot allow it to happen."

"Just... just make something up, Cullen, please," Chloe begged. "We're going to leave Ferelden and nobody will see us here ever again. I promise that templars will never find out that you've let us go... please, Cullen, I don't want to fight you, but I will do so if you're going to press it!"

"I'm... not unsympathetic, Chloe," Cullen sighed. "But at this point, you walking around freely almost concerns me more than your mage friend does." Chloe gave her mentor a surprised stare at that, prompting him to explain. "The paleness of your skin... those dark circles under your eyes... you're struggling badly with the withdrawal, aren't you? I understand that it is quite horrible."

"Yes... it's... very hard," Chloe ground her teeth, nodding stiffly at that.

"You've been off from lyrium for what, a week, perhaps a little more?" Cullen asked, Chloe nodding again. "On some days, it feels like you're getting the better of it, doesn't it? Well, I have news for you, Chloe. It's only going to get worse from here onwards. Many have tried to kick this addiction before, Chloe, but I know of only one who has managed to do successfully. The worst symptoms will persist for at least six months... and if by some miracle you manage to survive through that, you will not be completely symptom free for many years to come, Chloe."

"She can do it," Max spoke up, looking at her beloved friend with nothing but faith in her eyes. "With my help, Chloe can do it. We'll get through it, together."

"I appreciate your dedication, Maxine, but... what if Chloe's withdrawal becomes so bad that she can't control herself?" Cullen asked. "What if she turns to the life of crime to fund a supply of smuggled lyrium? What if she begins hunting down her former templar fellows for their lyrium? Chloe, a templar in withdrawal is almost as dangerous as an apostate on the run... this is just one of the reasons why I can't let you simply leave."

"Max is right, Cullen... I have it under control," Chloe said, trying to sound convincing, even if in truth Cullen merely speaking about her withdrawal had reawakened the symptoms, making her tremble and perspire all over, her teeth chattering and making it hard for her speak in a steady voice. "She helps me through the worst of my craving episodes... we can handle it if you would allow us to leave together..."

"I'd like to believe that, but I'm not sure you will be able to resist the lure of lyrium, Chloe," Cullen spoke, withdrawing a thin blue vial of the familiar liquid and presenting it to his former charge. "Look at what I have here, Chloe. I know you're suffering right now, I can see it in your eyes... you'd do almost anything for a sip that would take all that pain away, wouldn't you? Well... all you have to do is to come up to me and take this vial. I give you my word that I will not attack you... I will let you take it and drink it all up. Come, take it... you know you want to."

Chloe moaned and took a single step forward, the power of addiction overpowering even her iron will. "Chloe..." Max whispered at her, silently begging her to stop as Cullen smiled at them knowingly, feeling as if he had made his point.

"Hurry up, Chloe... it's not going to wait for you forever..." Cullen's grin broadened as he tipped the vial to one side and allowed a few drops of lyrium to spatter on the cobblestones, Chloe letting out another moan as she watched the precious liquid escaping, taking two more steps forward and starting to reach for the lyrium vial. Chloe came to an abrupt halt, however, when she turned her head and caught the earnest look in Max's beautiful blue eyes, staring at her, full of love and pleading for her to stop.

A shudder passed through Chloe at that, a surge of sensations much stronger even than her addiction, and she drew herself tall and proud as she walked up to Cullen and placed her hand on the vial he was holding. But instead of taking the vial and drinking it, however, Chloe simply turned it over and allowed all the lyrium to pour out on the ground, much to Cullen's astonishment.

"You're right, Cullen... the withdrawal symptoms are horrible," she said simply. "But they do not control me. And I have only one thing to say to you, my old friend. We are never going back to the Circle with you. So... you do what you feel is necessary, Cullen. If your duty dictates that you must strike us down... well, then I know what is the one last thing I want to do in this life before I die," Chloe spoke, turning around and walking up to the stunned looking Max. "And that is to kiss the woman I love with all my heart," she said softly, taking the other girl in her embrace.

"Oh, Chloe... I l-..." Max began to speak, but Chloe cut her off.

"I know, Max... I know," she smiled, leaning in as their lips met in the softest, most passionate of kisses, Chloe's head becoming dizzy from the sweetness of exploring Max's mouth, praying for the beauty of these sensations to never end, even as she waited for the tip of Cullen's sword to pass between her shoulder-blades to grant her quick death.

And yet, the killing blow never came. Instead, Chloe and Max heard something landing on the cobblestones with a slight jingle, followed by the sound of glass being smashed. With an extreme reluctance, Max and Chloe broke off their kiss, turning around to observe the source of the sound, Cullen removing his steel boot to reveal the smashed remains of Max's phylactery on the cobblestones.

"Cullen..." Chloe whispered, too shocked to think of anything meaningful to say.

"Maker forgive me," Cullen sighed, shaking his head as he turned to walk away. "Leave Ferelden as quickly as possible. And... don't ever make me regret this..."

"We won't, Cullen... I promise..." Chloe managed weakly.

"Thank you, Ser Cullen," Max added, overwhelmed as the pair continued to stand embraced, watching as Cullen quickly mounted his horse and rode down the path back to Kinloch Hold without saying a further word.

* * *

_Year 9:27 of Dragon Age_

_Harbor of Jader, Orlais_

It took two weeks for the two fugitives to reach the Orlesian port city of Jader and then a further week to find a ship's captain who would be willing to take them across the Waking Sea to the Free Marches. Eventually, they had made a deal with the captain of a ship called the Siren's Call, a very flamboyant and hugely attractive olive-skinned woman by the name of Isabela. The very scantily dressed woman had flirted relentlessly with both Chloe and Max, making them blush a great deal throughout the whole process of negotiating a price for passage, Isabela eventually agreeing to get them across the sea for mere twenty sovereigns, almost half the price what the other captains were asking for, claiming that she was a hopeless romantic and could not stand in the way of young love. Certainly, Max and Chloe were not blind to the obvious fact that Isabela was not only a romantic, but also a smuggler and a pirate, but there was something endearing about her flamboyant manner that persuaded the two girls to sign on with the irrepressibly flirtatious captain.

During their journey to Orlais, the girls had stopped at West Hill in order to send letters to their parents and inform them that they had won their hard fought freedom. Return letters reached them a few days before their departure from Jader. Obviously, Vanessa was still heavily distraught, having buried Ryan only a couple of days ago, and Max still often broke down in tears when thinking about her father's passage, but Chloe was always there to hold her beloved friend through the worst of her grief. Max's mother also wrote about Chloe's dad William being a great pillar of strength for her during these dark days, something that made both girls feel slightly better. Certainly, William knew from experience what it meant to lose someone he had dearly loved, and as Vanessa wrote to her daughter, he seemed to know just what to do and what to say at the right moment to make her grief feel just that tiny bit lighter.

Max and Chloe had made promises to write their parents again as soon as they reached the other side of the Waking Sea and settled down somewhere, already making plans to invite their parents over to live with them, though Chloe in particular doubted that her dad would agree to such a move, being a Fereldan through and through. The destination of the Siren's Call was the free city of Kirkwall, the place where Chloe had been initially assigned to serve as a templar, a fate that she had managed to avoid. Kirkwall was a city with a very large templar presence, so they already knew that they would not be staying there for long, but would be quickly moving on elsewhere, to a less restrictive city.

"Whoa... I still can't quite wrap my mind around this..." Max sighed, leaning in with her back against Chloe's chest as they both stood at the railing on the bow of the Siren's Call. "I think I still expected something to go wrong in the last moment... only now when we're actually on the ship and leaving port, that I can allow myself to believe that we're finally free."

"I know... I feel exactly the same," Chloe smiled, nuzzling tenderly against Max's neck, looking on as the ship carefully maneuvered its way out of the harbor, the breathtaking freedom of the open waters before them, the fresh air of the sea intoxicating as it filled their lungs, making them dizzy with happiness. "A new life of infinite possibilities will await us as soon as we step off the ship in Kirkwall. We will be free to choose how to live it."

"If we manage to survive Isabela's constant attempts at embarrassing us," Max chuckled. "She always makes me feel as if I have the word 'virgin' tattooed on my forehead..."

"She's just very perceptive," Chloe laughed, gently nibbling on the tender skin of Max's neck, making the younger girl sigh contently, positively melting in her arms. "But we're not going to rush just because of Isabela's teasing. We'll take as much time as we'll want."

"Thanks, Chloe..." Max whispered gratefully. "There's been so much happening in such a short span of time. We've been through a real torrent of emotions... I just don't want to ruin something... something special and beautiful by rushing, you know?"

"I'm with you all the way, babe," Chloe smiled, giving Max a tight, comforting squeeze. "Want to spend more time daydreaming about the future? We still haven't decided where to settle."

"Someplace without a Circle of Magi would be a good start," Max replied. "And with as few templars as possible."

"Which cities of the Free Marches don't have a Circle?" Chloe mused. "Seems like most of them do."

"Oh, there are a few," Max smiled. "Tantervale is by far the largest of those without a Circle. Also Wycome and Hercinia. Those are smaller cities, but they're on the coast... and well, I love the sea. But we could visit them all and see for ourselves."

"Indeed we could," Chloe nodded. "Then again, we don't necessarily have to settle down right away. We could join an adventuring troupe or form one of our own. I mean, there's always a demand for skilled mages in the adventuring business, and I'm pretty good with my sword, right? We might get lucky in unearthing some old elven ruin and striking a fortune... and then buy ourselves a lovely seaside villa and retire there to live happily ever after."

"Mhm... you do paint a pretty picture, Chloe..." Max purred. "Unfortunately, adventuring is also a very good way to get yourself killed. If we want to make a quick fortune, we might be better off just joining Isabela's crew of pirates."

"Uh... well, becoming pirates would kinda be like living the dream of our childhood, right?" Chloe laughed before blushing deeply at a suddenly occurring thought. "Though I didn't think you would be onboard with signing on with the woman who has openly stated her intent to bed us both... preferably at the same time..."

"...oh right, she did say that..." Max coughed, blushing deeply as well. "Well, uh, perhaps we should give Isabela a pass then... although we can always discuss it later..."

"Exactly," Chloe grinned. "But we can also choose a more mundane life if we want to. I mean, I know my way around a forge, and you've put in a lot of hours working in the bakery. Or you could indulge your artistic side in some way... and just live your life as if you didn't even have magic at your disposal. It would be safer, though perhaps less exciting."

"I know..." Max nodded. "It would be a bit of shame not to use my magic for something useful, though. But we really don't have to make a decision right here and right now. I would be happy to do... whatever, as long as-..."

"Let me finish that thought for you, love," Chloe whispered, interrupting the other girl. "I, too, would be happy to do anything, as long as we do it together."

"Yep, that's the magical word," Max smiled in content as Chloe spun her around so that they came face to face, the couple starting to trade kisses to the approving whistles coming from the crow's nest high above. "And that's where our future is, love... together. Always together."

**FIN**


End file.
